Something to Believe In
by Ebony L. Heart
Summary: Aria Vendetta was an eighteen year old girl that lived on the outskirts of developing town Lexington when one day a bear claimed her life. But MiM had a different plan for her and resurrected her as a spirit. Known as the Huntress, Aria is a loner until a certain Guardian asks her to track the Winter Spirit. What happens after is something no one expected...
1. Chapter 1: The Hunter Awakens

Chapter 1: A Hunter Awakens

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**WARNING: This is Rated T for blood, violence, gore, language, and some other scenes that are not for children, but rather teenagers and above (meaning, those above the age of 13). This will not be a full blown lovey-dovey fanfic, as I suck at romances. It will have fight scenes, and I mean ****_fight scenes_****. So, you have been warned!**

**DISCLAIMER: I am putting this here once. I only own my OC's. I do not own ROTG or any of its content. I do not own GOC or any of its conent.**

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***EDIT: So...um...here is the actual REVISED version of the first chapter...I gave you the rough draft...sorry 'bout that XD**

**A/N: So, this is a new FanFiction I am writing, and it is my first Rise of the Guardians fanfic. I really hope you all like it, and it will most likely be a Jack/OC pairing. The beginning is a bit slow and dramatic, but it will get better, I promise. I haven't decided if I will go into the movie verse and then do an after story, so I will be letting this play out. I plan on buying the movie as soon as I get home for right now I am out of town. Anyway, please bear with me in this as the first two chapters will be slow going.**

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"Come on! We are going to lose daylight!" a male voice with a slight, almost unidentifiable English accent called from outside the sturdy wood barn. "Aria!"

"I am coming, Caleb!" an irritated female voice that barely had any accent at all responded along with a shrill neigh from her annoyed horse.

The tall, stocky twenty year old man with a head of shaggy, dark brown hair paced by his dark bay stallion. His travel worn boots scuffed up some dirt as his breath showed in a gusty fog in the cold November air of Kentucky. He gave another annoyed huff as he turned back to the weather worn, yet still very sturdy barn where a loud bout of cursing came from the occupant inside. Caleb rolled his hazel eyes and gave a small smile as Aria's voice ceased to talk as her horse gave a shrill, indignant neigh as if to shut her up. It worked well enough, and the string of curses ceased. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown trousers as he turned his head to look at the overcast evening sky. He shivered slight as a small breeze moved over the clearing before the barn causing Caleb to pull his thick hunting coat over his leather jerkin even more so as the wind bit into his sparsely covered arms. "The air is so cold-" he began to mumble to himself when a horse snorted behind him.

"It is going to snow today," Aria said with a huff as she pulled her dark grey cloak closer to her body over her hunting jacket while she lead her blue roan stallion behind her.

The wind blew over the two again causing Aria's straight, mocha brown hair to float away from her mid back in soft waves in accordance to the air's wind. Her dark blue eyes were steaming with annoyance as she pulled the overly thick, worn brown hunting coat closer to her. Her feminine frame with the well-defined muscles of her slim body was hidden underneath the overly large coat she wore, and she had to tighten the belt once again on the two-sizes-too-large pants. At least her boots and her undershirt fit to her frame in the right places unlike the other bits of clothing. She was beginning to get annoyed with her brother for not allowing her to run into the town of Lexington just to buy a few bits of cloth so that she could sew the clothes to fit her better.

"And how would you know that, little sister?" a smirking Caleb asked with a hint of a tease in his deep voice as he mounted his large stallion.

Aria tightened the girth to her dark blue roan stallion's saddle without looking at her brother. "The sky is too overcast and dark for it to not, you can smell the slight humidity in the air," Aria started to say until the groan of her brother cut her off.

"Alright," Caleb huffed in annoyance yet again as Aria swung herself into the saddle with a little difficulty due to the overly large clothing she had to wear. "I get it."

"I need to go into town at some point, Caleb," the eighteen year old girl commented harshly. "I cannot keep wearing your clothes when we go for a hunt, and I cannot wear my…skirts…either."

Caleb sighed as they began to urge their horses down the path that lead past the field and to the forested area where they hunted every other day. "We don't have enough money at the moment, Aria. If we hunt enough this month then maybe we will be able to go into town and buy, or trade, the few items we need-"

"Caleb, I already told you that I could pick up a job in town for a while to help earn some extra money. You are better now and can do more hunting while I earn some coin. Think about Mother-"

"Do not bring Mother into this!" Caleb said harshly. "We cannot move her to Lexington and not follow!"

"What other choice do we have?!" Aria responded in the same heated tone. "She is sick enough already and I cannot take care of her and hunt and neither can you! Father has been gone for too long as it is."

"Stop…just stop."

Yet the eighteen year old girl wasn't done with her twenty year old brother. She shifted the quiver on her back and removed the bow from her shoulders as they entered the woods. "Face it, Caleb, he is either dead or with another woman. Father is _not _coming back. It has been a year already and I have had to take care of all three of us for the past several months. I cannot do it again if you get sick again or hurt. You should not be out here anyway with the storm coming!"

Caleb sighed in defeat and refused to say anymore on the matter. Their father had left them in search of a new place to settle down as far away from civilization as possible in hopes to not pay taxes. It was a fable that many of the families around the Vendetta family had fallen into, and those many families had either turned up dead or had never been seen again. Aria and Caleb's father had been one of those to fall into the hope, and he left them to find the fable. In that time, their mother had become increasingly sick in the past few months to the point where she had gotten ill further than Aria or Caleb could hope to help her.

Caleb had also nearly gotten himself killed by a young bear when he and Aria had been out hunting, and had been bed ridden for months. He had to get himself back into shape before he could go back out hunting, and had just been cleared by his little sister to hunt once again. But that didn't mean that he was no longer cranky or bossy. In fact, he had become the opposite and seemed to be even more cranky and bossy than normal, yet Aria wasn't going to have it from him and she held up her own against her brother.

The two rode in silence for a long while as they were both still seething with each other and the continuously growing number of arguments that had become more frequent in the past two weeks. The close bond the two had shared before their father had left had started to dwindle, and Aria was beginning to fear that she may lose her bond with her brother completely. She pulled up her large stallion and dropped from the saddle while her brother moved on through the forest all the while the air seemed to become colder and colder. A crisp breeze blew up in the forest and with it came the smell of fresh, cold air. "Snow…" Aria mumbled to her horse as she crouched low to the ground.

She examined the ground for any fresh tracks of animals, and found the smallest amount of hair in the bark of a tree. She remounted and began in the direction of her brother all the while looking for any more signs of wildlife in the unusually quite forest. "Deer hair," she commented quietly to avoid scaring any close by game away. "We should head deeper into the forest."

Caleb gave a nod yet refused to speak to his sister out of stubborn fury. They continued for some time in silence before Aria's worries began to bubble up. "The forest is too quiet," she commented.

"It is always quiet," Caleb huffed.

Arai had to bite her tongue to keep from giving the sharp reply on her lips as she pulled Torvus to a stop and jumped down from the saddle to examine the ground once more. Four small, almost invisible, red droplets of what appeared to be blood sat on the ground, and Aria's worry began to mount. She began to follow the four droplets and caught sight of a fifth. She examined the dirt on the ground and the way it seemed to sport the signs of a struggle. "Something was killed, or wounded recently," Aria mumbled as she moved along the ground taking in the scene that it told. "Two large animals…one heavy…one light…"

"What are you mumbling about?" Caleb asked in annoyance.

"…more deer fur…" Aria announced as she pulled a tuft of fur from the bark of a slightly scuffed tree.

She spotted another clump of fur in a tree further down, and headed for it. But, as she pulled it from the tree, she realized with a slight bit of fear that it belonged to an animal they did not want to encounter. "Aria, come on-" Caleb started in a heated voice but stopped as the younger sister whipped around to face him.

"There is a bear in the area," she stated as she began to make her way back to her horse when she stopped yet again at the sight of a pair of deer tracks…fresh deer tracks.

"Leave it," Caleb bossed as he nodded toward the deer tracks he spotted at that moment as well. "We have game down this way."

"We should hunt in another area, Caleb," Aria said as she remounted Torvus. "The tracks are too close to the bear-"

"The bear probably has its kill anyway," Caleb brushed his sister off quickly as he urged his stallion onward. "We will be fine."

But deep down, his own fear began to creep into his gut as he remembered the bear attack all those months ago. He hoped, for his sake more so than his sister's, that they would not meet the bear. The tracks of the deer became more prominent as they moved onward, and it became very apparent to Aria that the deer had been spooked not too long ago. She became well aware of the fear her older brother was beginning to feel, and started to doubt his courage should they happen upon the bear. Torvus began to show signs of wariness as they came closer to the deer they were tracking.

Caleb pulled his stallion to a stop and removed his bow from his back as he spotted something off in the distance. Aria saw it as well, and recognized the twelve point buck. She had an arrow notched on her bow and began to move Torvus toward the deer when she stopped. "Caleb…" she whispered to her brother as he too began to move toward the deer with an arrow knocked and at the ready.

"What?" he hissed an annoyance. "That buck could last us a month and that rack could get us a lot of money along with that pelt."

"I'm not talking about that…" Aria responded as she looked about the clearing the deer was in.

The shadows about the foliage seemed to be darker and deeper than normal, and the air had dropped even more so in temperature. Just then, the deer turned its head upwards as snow began to fall from the sky in a slow torrent, yet Aria had the feeling that the light dusting of snow would become more than that. Everything about the area seemed off.

Torvus gave a quiet nicker in warning as Aria turned back to find Caleb a good ways off and pulling the arrow back. He let it loose and gave a satisfied nod as it landed straight through the deer's heart. A perfect shot.

The dead deer was slumped on the ground with a peaceful look forever plastered on its face as Caleb dropped down beside it. Aria followed more cautiously as she looked about the dark clearing. "Caleb, we better head back with the deer-" she started.

"There has to be a harem around here somewhere. A stag like this cannot be wandering around alone," Caleb interjected as he pulled his arrow from the deer's side.

"-a storm is coming-"

"-I bet if we keep going in this direction-"

"-and the bear is still-"

"-no," Caleb said through clenched teeth as he turned toward his sister. "There will not be a storm, and there is no bear in the area."

Aria had enough of her brother and glared at him. "That is it," she said in a calm anger. "If you want to stay out here and get yourself killed by a blizzard or a bear, then be my guest! At least I will be here to help mother."

With that said, she turned Torvus back around and began to head off in a heated storm. She caught several curse words and insults directed at her back that came from her older brother, but she brushed them off. She didn't get further than five minutes when she saw it; the bear was lumbering through the forest a good distance away. Its dark brown coat had caught several snowflakes and it seemed to be rather pissed. The large predator stopped and sniffed the air before it began off again in a slightly more hurried fashion.

Aria paid little attention to the retreating bear and began to move off once more when a loud scream spilt the air in the forest. Torvus whipped his head around and looked back toward the clearing as an equine's panicked voice echoed throughout Aria's skull along with the ferocious roar of a bear. "Caleb!" Aria screamed out as Torvus dug his hooves into the dirt and propelled himself back toward the clearing with a good deal of speed. "Caleb!"

The bear, hungry and tired, had picked Caleb to be his victim of his anger. It roared again as it stood up on its two hind legs, furious black eyes glowering at Caleb who sat on the ground with a cut on his leg. He tried desperately to back up as quickly as possible, but the bear was much too large and much too angry. Suddenly, an arrow sprouted from its shoulder just as it crashed down on the ground. "Get back!" Aria yelled out as she jumped from Torvus.

Caleb's bay stallion had gotten his reins caught on a bush and was squealing in desperation to get away from the bear. Torvus, however, was not about to flee in cowardice and instead attacked the bear. He kicked out and nailed the bear in the face just as Aria fired another arrow that landed in the bear's other shoulder. The thick muscle was hard to penetrate, yet Aria had another arrow ready. Caleb was scrambling away and finally managed to get on his feet as the bear turned on Aria. It swiped its paw at Aria, who was slowed down greatly in the overly large clothes, and lost her bow as it flew from her hand. Torvus kicked at the bear again and gained its attention.

The bear, now beyond anger and close to rage, turned and slashed the horse's side causing red blood to cover the dark silver coat of the stallion. Torvus threw up his dark silver head and cried out in pain as the bear turned back onto Caleb as the man struggled to get his horse untangled from the bush. "Caleb, look out!" Aria called as she rushed over to her brother and knocked Caleb onto the ground out of harm's way of the bear's claws.

Aria, however, was directly in the way of the claws and took the attack head on. The claws raked down her chest ripping clothing and flesh alike as a scream pierced the air of the clearing as pain racked Aria's body. Her chest was already coated in blood as she rolled to a stop from the hit of the bear, yet as she lifted her head she caught sight of the bear focused on Torvus. The horse was knocked to the ground as the bear smashed its weight into the horse's side. "Torvus!" Aria called out as she hoisted herself from the ground covered in her blood.

She unsheathed the long dagger on her hip and called out to the bear as she pitched a rock she picked up. The rock hit the bear in the side of the face gaining its attention. The bear turned onto Aria and stalked toward her. It stopped and rose onto its hind legs with an angry roar. _This is it, _Aria thought bitterly. _Either you die, or we both die._

The bear came down on Aria, and then slumped to the ground unmoving for a moment. The smallest amount of movement came from the still body as Aria maneuvered her leg from out beneath the bear. Her dagger was embedded in its chest right in its heart. She gave a huff of air as she stood on shaky legs from the dead beast. She looked around and saw Torvus on the ground breathing a shallow rhythm with blood coating his dark silvery side. She turned to where she had pushed Caleb out of the bear's way and saw that his horse was gone and so was he. Aria took a few steps around the dead bear on shaky feet and caught sight of Caleb spurring his horse as far away from the clearing as possible. "Coward…" Aria mumbled with a slight crack in her voice as tears stung at her throat. "You _coward!_" she cried out after her retreating brother as tears streamed down her face.

A weak whinny in agreement came from her weakened horse, and Aria turned to look at Torvus. She stumbled over to her horse and finally collapsed by his head. The amount of blood the horse was losing meant certain death for him. "Hey boy," she mumbled into his fur as she laid her head on his burly chest.

The horse nickered in response as he weakly nosed Aria's bloodied shoulder as if say hey.

"I am not in good condition either…" she mumbled.

She shivered slightly as the air seemed to drop ten degrees and the snow began to fall more heavily around them. The stallion gave a nicker as he laid his head down on the ground before a pathetic neigh came from him.

"I will not leave you…I will _never _leave you…"

Aria knew that she was going to die with Torvus, but she rather die side by side with her horse than ever see her brother's face again. She could feel the cold ground around her body seep away her own heat. Her blood dripped onto the brown, somewhat snow covered ground staining it red. The storm seemed to grow even more and soon, Aria was shiver beside her fading horse. She felt her strength weakening and her will to live fading as her horse's body began to slowly grow cold along with herself. Before long, Torvus ceased breathing leaving the girl alone. Her eyelids felt heavy, and the pain had long ceased to a numb feeling as her body froze over with the cold air. She had the feeling that someone or something was watching her, but she did not have the strength to see what it was. Instead she turned her eyes up toward the sky in hopes to find the moon or the stars, but nothing shown through that overcast sky. She felt no fear, but instead loneness; utter abandonment.

Her world soon faded to black.

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A figure cloaked in a black robe watched the scene unfold before him. He had felt the fear of the male miles away, and had come to see what was causing it. His tall figure melded with the shadows as his yellow-gold eyes darted about the clearing in search of the being whose fear had brought him out to Kentucky in the first place. He placed his hand on the bark of the tree next to him, the pale-grey flesh contrasting greatly with the dark brown bark of the tree. His short, black hair flowed in a way that seemed to spike back from his head. He narrowed his eyes at the beings in the clearing.

The girl screamed as the bear's claws tore through her clothes and skin, and the figure immediately believed the fear belonged to her. But as the bear attacked the dark blue roan stallion, the boy the girl had saved began to untangle the reins of his own horse in a quick fashion. That was when Pitch figured the fear belonged to the boy. He reeked of it as did his horse, yet the girl and the silver colored horse did not. No, they seemed to _lack _fear of the death that awaited them. All too soon, the girl had killed the bear and began to look for the boy, whom Pitch assumed was her brother. _He ran off_, Pitch thought to himself in bitterness as he looked at the hurt and pain in the girl's eyes. "Coward," her voice mumbled.

_A coward indeed_, Pitch agreed and then covered his ears.

"You _coward!_" the girl screamed out in a loud, sorrow and anger filled voice.

Pitch watched as the girl stumbled over to her dying horse and noticed that she still lacked fear of death as she laid down with her horse. He waited for the inevitable feeling of fear to engulf the girl, yet she still lacked it and it intrigued him. How could this one mortal girl feel no fear in the face of death? He would have never imagined her to be one to withstand the natural born feeling of fear.

For once in a long while, Pitch felt the want to help the dying girl, but could do nothing as he watched her stroke her beloved horse's neck. Soon, the horse died and left the girl alone for death. He knew what she was feeling as she awaited death's grip: loneliness, something Pitch knew all too well, but soon she passed as well leaving Pitch alone looking at the clearing with the dead horse, girl, and bear.

He walked out into the clearing as the shadows seemed to try and catch him. He stood over the girl and the horse for a while longer, pitying her. "Your death was in vain," he mumbled and then turned and began to walk away.

He had just reached the shadows of the forest when the moon broke cover of the overcast sky. The full moon shown down on the clearing in a bright light that seemed to shine down only on the dead girl and her horse. The blood from the gashes on both horse and girl disappeared back into their skin as their wounds closed up. They seemed to glow with the light of the moon as they underwent a change that Pitch had seen only once before with another person that had died to save someone they loved.

The girl's mocha brown hair darkened into a dark cherry red-brown color as her tanned skin became flawless without the scars of her hunts and the blood from her death. Her overly large clothes seemed to shrink in size to fit her muscular, feminine form while her bow, long dagger, and quiver situated themselves on her body once more. The dark wood of the bow glistened in the light of the moon as her quiver was filled with dark red feather tipped arrows. She was helped to her feet by some invisible force, but as soon as she stood on her own two feet with a straight, battle ready posture, her eyes opened and even Pitch had to take a sharp intake of breath just as the girl did. Her eyes were no longer the dark blue of the night sky, but a silver color as if she were blind.

As the girl had undergone a transformation, so did her blue roan horse. The beast's fur became short as if it were a winter coat. Blood, scars, and wounds all but disappeared from the horse's hide as he, too, stood. His tack was replaced with a black saddle of slight western make but with English saddle lightness to it. The pommel was not so prominent, and the black leather was light in comparison to the heavy western saddle. The breast plate was thick, and had a thin set of silver inlaid within the middle of the breast collar. The from the back of the saddle was an extended piece of the saddle that had four rings on either side that could be used for either clipping the quiver on or a saddle bag. The simple bridle was made of black leather and without a bit, but looked rather dashing on the horse anyway. Torvus's mane and tail were cropped short to resemble a war horse cut. He, too, stood up and when he opened his eyes they had turned to an icy blue color that flowed out into an amber color.

The moon shown down on the two before it disappeared back behind the overcast sky once again. The girl turned to her horse and looked just as startled as the large stallion was. "What the hell…" she mumbled before she took a closer look at her horse's eyes and grew even more confused. "Torvus…what happened?"

The horse gave a snort and then all the sudden shuddered. He took a single step and suddenly began to change shapes. His hooves became paws, and his fur grew long. His tailbone grew as his hair shrunk into fur alone the sickle tail while his mane all but disappeared. In place of the horse was now a wolf, a large wolf the same height as the horse before it was. The wolf gave a growl of shock before he shuddered again, still trying to seemingly communicate to the girl. His fur shrank into feathers, and his front legs shifted into a usable pair of wings and soon a hawk was left in the wolf's wake. A long string of curses escaped the girl's mouth as she watched the hawk shift back into the blue roan horse that was now huffing with effort. Finally, the horse caught its breath and looked at the girl. "We changed," he said.

At this, the girl was silenced. She stood there gawking at the stallion for a moment longer before Pitch felt the need to intervene as he was curious as to why the girl and the horse still felt no fear of their current position. "In a way, you both changed," he said, his voice causing the girl and the horse to turn around on a dime. "Though, your horse changed more so than you, my dear."

"Who are you and what are you talking about?" the girl asked.

"You have what is called a mimic hound; a creature that can shift into three different forms," Pitch said as he walked across the clearing to the girl and the horse who both looked like they were ready to attack in an instant. "As for who I am, I am Pitch Black."

"Where do you hail from, sir?" the girl asked. "I have never seen you around these parts before. Are you from Lexington?"

Pitch smiled slyly but shook his head, his pity feeling still very evident. "I am not from this world originally, but you are. You-"

"I died," the girl said in shock. "Torvus and I died…but how are we alive now?"

"We are actually spirits," Pitch corrected. "Neither living nor dead."

"I get that," the girl snapped.

"What is your name?" Pitch asked curiously.

"Aria…Aria Vendetta, sir."

"I am curious, Miss Vendetta," Pitch began as he looked the girl and the horse over, "many fear me, yet you do not. You were not even afraid of the bear or the death that it brought upon you and your horse."

Aria snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I fear little, sir," Aria responded evenly as if it were almost a challenge.

"And it will not change," Torvus added with a slight growl laced in his voice as his lips pulled back to reveal not a set of equine teeth but rather a set of canine teeth.

"I was merely curious is all," Pitch stated in a rather short tone with the horse though he was still confused as to why the girl and her beast were able to take all this in without too much thought. "Your brother, on the other hand, was filled with it," he added almost as if it were a side thought.

At the mention of her brother, Aria's whole demeanor changed. She grew livid with anger and hatred gleamed in her eyes as she replayed the events that had just gone by. "That coward left us for dead," she growled out through her teeth as her hands curled into fists. "That bastard…"

Pitch could feel the shift in the air as it dramatically changed from one of cold to one of hot. He watched as Aria's fists sprouted a silvery white flame in her anger, but as soon as it was there, it was gone and Aria had relaxed some as she took several deep breaths to regain control of her anger. _She is powerful…_Pitch thought to himself with a curious look in his eyes. _Very powerful…yet she has no idea what she holds within her. Of course, she has just been resurrected. Why, old friend, would you choose to bring back this girl?_

Suddenly, silent tears streamed from the girl's eyes as she looked at the ground in resolution to not show the stranger before her any emotion. She felt so angry at her brother, but she couldn't blame him for he had, after all, been attacked by a bear before and nearly lost his life. How could she hate him for wanting to run and save his own life? She and Torvus would have died anyway with the wounds they had sustained. They had little chance of survival anyhow, but the loneliness feeling that had come from her brother's abandonment was still heart wrenching. With a great sigh of defeat, she turned to her horse and mounted the saddle. "Come on, Torvus," she said in a voice that cut through Pitch's cold walls like butter. The sound of defeat seemed so out of place with the young woman in front of him that he highly doubted that she ever gave up on anything. "Let's go."

"And where will you go, Aria?" Pitch asked with curiosity as the horse began to walk off toward the small log home several miles away. "You have no place _to_ go."

"I have a mother and a brother to look after, sir. I cannot abandon them at a time like this. I have to go home," Aria said and Pitch was sure the girl had completely forgotten that she was a mere spirit now.

"They will not welcome you," Pitch said in a tone that suggested he knew all too well the feeling of being unwelcomed.

"They will…at least, mother will…"

As Aria and Torvus disappeared from sight, Pitch let out a sigh as he began to meld with the shadows once more as the storm began to pick up. "My dear, you are invisible to human eyes," he said to the air. "You are no longer alive to them."

Torvus skid to a stop in front of the house as Aria jumped from the saddle. The wind whipped about as the storm raged on. The cold didn't bite into Aria too much, but it was still there. She wondered why that was, but soon forgot about it when she raced up to the door of the log house. Aria walked into the house and found her brother standing in front of their mother who looked so ill in her current state of being. "She is dead, Mother," he was saying to the rather old looking woman that was too skinny for her own good.

She shook her head of long, wavy brown hair that was streaked with grey. "Not my Aria…she will be back, Caleb…" the woman said in a weak voice. "She will be back."

"She is not coming back-"

"Aria has got that fire within her heart…she is a skilled hunter…she will return…"

"She is dead, Mother!" Caleb yelled in anger as the older woman seemed to not pay any attention to him. "Dead! Killed by a bear!"

"No, she is not," Aria said angrily, yet Caleb didn't turn to her which only furthered the young woman's own anger.

"Caleb, do not raise your voice with me. She and your father-"

"They are both _dead_! Why can you not get that through your thick skull?!"

"Caleb!" Aria yelled, yet Caleb still didn't turn to face his little sister.

With an angry shout, Aria threw herself at Caleb, yet she flew right through him. An empty, hollow feeling came from Caleb as she passed through him as if she was not there. As she turned her stunned gaze onto her brother, the feeling of the wind getting knocked out of her overcame Aria for a moment before she regained herself. _What is happening? _she thought as her confusion began to rise. _Why can they not see me?!_

Aria gapped at her brother in stunned, shocked silence as she watched her mother stand up and turn her back to Caleb, and in turn her brother removed his hunting knife from his belt and stabbed it right into their mother's back. Aria let out a yell of anger as she watched her mother plummet to the ground in death, a hard thump coming from the still body as it smacked against the wood floor. A fury so high in rage overcame Aria, and she had her own long knife out of its sheath before she could think, and waited until Caleb turned toward her. She glared at him with such hatred she was sure he could feel it.

Caleb turned and saw a pair of silver eyes glaring at him from what appeared to be his dead sister only…different. She was there, but her hair color and eye color were so far off he didn't know what to think. A soft silver glow outlined her body, and Caleb wondered if he was hallucinating for a moment when Aria lashed out with her blade, and cut straight through Caleb's neck, his blood splattering on the wall and floor as he fell to the ground dead. "You bastard," Aria growled out as a silvery fire laced her hands. "You got what you deserved."

She turned from the dead on the floor and began to walk out of the house. As her hand touched the wooden door, a bright flame lit up on the wood and began to spread throughout the entire house as Aria mounted Torvus. She turned the horse away from the slowly growing fire that began to engulf the house as her anger turned to sorrow. Her family was dead, and she truly was alone with only Torvus.

Just like that lonely man Pitch Black.


	2. Chapter 2: Anger

Chapter 2: Anger

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**A/N: I am still working out Aria's personality and her past. I wanted to go in depth with her history this time, unlike my LOTR OC, Valaina, where most of her past is implied. It is just a transition, and I also wanted to add Aria's own part in history and how she becomes what she is. The first few chapters are a bit rough, and I am also trying to figure her out myself, and I honestly just let this story take its own path at the moment. For all those who have read this far and are still with me, thanks! I always appreciate the kind reviews that I get ^^**

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**an awesome anon: **Thank you for being the first to review! I really appreciate it! So far, I tried to get her to come across as brave, and what she will do now as a spirit will be revealed in the upcoming chapters, like this one XD. And nice thought about Pitch using her to track down Jack, but not quite :) Close though.

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The cold month of December brought Aria and Torvus down to the ocean coast of the country. They had traveled all of November in search of Aria's father, and had finally found a lead when they caught word of a great hunter trading in a Spanish colony. Aria still had not adjusted completely to her new life as a Spirit, although Torvus was an entirely different story. She found it rather odd that some people would talk with her while others would pass right through her as if she were never there. It was a mystery she was bound to solve.

Torvus growled and shook himself out as he emerged from the forest just outside the Spanish colony. It was a rather big colony, and very prosperous being right on the side of the Mississippi River. The blue roan stallion gave a huff as he looked about the town in front of him before giving a great sigh in an exasperated manner. "Aria, are you _sure _your father is in there?" he asked as he started forward once more with his rider on his back.

"No, Torvus, I am not," Aria answered back truthfully. "But one cannot be too careful of where they traverse…right?"

"Stop trying to act like a sage and focus on trying to find your father," Torvus teased.

Aria smiled slightly as they entered the town of wooden houses and stockades. It was, after all, just a developing town and was not at all constructed properly so to speak. Aria dismounted in front of a general store and decided to start there. Upon entering, the store's clerk immediately looked up and narrowed his eyes at Aria. For a moment, the young hunter thought the clerk did not see her, but her doubts were washed away when the clerk motioned her in. "Hello, my dear," he started and Aria figured he was from America with the slight English accent to his tone, "how may I help you?"

Aria looked about the store avoiding the clerk's eyes for a moment in fear that he would suspect her a blind due to the silvery color of her eyes. "I am looking for a few items and a particular person," she responded. "First off, do you happen to know of a tailor in these parts?"

"I do," the clerk responded but chuckled lightly. "Unless you speak Spanish or French, I cannot help you out on that side of town."

Aria giggled slightly. "I am from Kentucky, sir. I do not speak Spanish or French," she told the clerk as he ran a hand through his black head of hair.

"And why is a young woman, as fine as yourself, doing in these parts?" he asked as he leaned on the counter and propped up his black bearded chin with one of his fists. "Neither are you dressed appropriately for a woman."

"I am a hunter," Aria answered. "I have no need for fine clothes. I just need clothes that fit me," she added under her breath.

The clerk chuckled again. "Who is this person you were looking for earlier? Another hunter?"

"Actually, yes," Aria responded as she turned to fully face the clerk. "His name is James Vendetta."

The clerk had to do a double take on Aria's eyes, but soon recovered and decided to leave it be. "I have heard the name before…Vendetta…that is a fine huntsman. He is residing in the inn several blocks over."

"Thank you, sir," Aria said as she began to turn toward the door.

"Um…may I ask you a question, miss?" the clerk started stopping Aria in her tracks.

"Yes, sir?"

"Are you, by any chance, blind?" the clerk asked as if still unsure whether or not he should even ask his question.

Aria chuckled and turned to face the clerk once more. "No, sir," she started, "I am not blind. I am merely a spirit."

With that note of finality, she walked out and mounted Torvus's saddle once more. "I assume it went well?" the horse asked,

"A few blocks over in a nearby inn, no doubt a popular tavern as well," Aria informed the horse.

The two soon found the inn that was indeed just a few blocks down. Aria dismounted the stallion once more and entered the inn that also served as a tavern. It was rather packed with people coming in from their daily chores and work as evening began to set in. Several people looked her way and stared while other looked her way and didn't even bother to try and see her. She quickly made her way over to the bar to see if she could get the bartender's attention. That was if he even saw her.

Luck happened to be on Aria's side for the bartender did indeed see her. "What can I do for you, lass?" he asked as Aria stopped by the standing bar top.

"I am looking for a James Vendetta," Aria began.

"Ah…Vendetta is right over there with that fine specimen of a woman," the bartender pointed to a table closest to the stairs where a man with auburn colored hair and a slight beard to match sat at a table with a Spanish woman happily eating dinner.

"Thank you," Aria nearly growled out as she turned on a dime and began to march her way over to her father.

They were conversing in Spanish with a bit of English thrown in every now and then, and Aria had a hard time discerning what they were saying. The man looked up at Aria as she approached them and frowned as he tried to place the young huntress within the memories of his mind. "May I help you?" he asked as Aria stopped in front of them.

The Spanish woman turned and gave Aria an uneasy smile. "You do not recognize your own daughter?" Aria asked in hard controlled calm.

"Aria?!" James stuttered as he stood up quickly. "Is that really you? What is wrong with your hair and…are you blind?!"

"No, I am not _blind_," Aria snapped angrily as she clenched her fists. "I have been looking _everywhere _for you, and I find you sitting with-"

"Aria, my dear, it is not what it looks like," James tried to reason with his 'blind' daughter as he did not think she was telling the whole truth.

"Then what does it look like? Please, elaborate for me, _dad_," Aria asked harshly.

"Aria, you are drawing a crowd," her father answered quietly as he took up his daughter's hand. "Let us talk somewhere quiet-"

"Mother is dead."

"What?" James asked startled. "When? How?!"

"Caleb killed her," Aria answered harshly as her anger began to mount. "And that coward had left me for dead."

"Aria, what are you talking about-"

"After you left, mother became sick. Caleb nearly died from a bear attack and I had been holding what was left of our family together by a mere thread," Aria told James as her anger mounted even more. "Not a month ago, Caleb and I went out on a hunt and we were attacked by a bear. I saved his ass from the bear and killed the damn thing myself, but being the coward he was he took off."

"He left you for dead?!"

"Yes-"

"How did you survive?" James asked as he began to back up from his seething daughter.

"I did not," Aria answered.

She was fully aware of the many heads that were turned their way, though if those heads could see her or not she didn't care. Her anger at her father for abandoning their family was growing every passing minute, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold the fire in her heart back for much longer.

James was watching his daughter's face trying to discern whether or not it was a joke she was playing on him, but her impassive, steadfast features told him Aria was being dead serious. Yet, he still let out an uneasy huff and shook his head. "You are standing here with me now," he started saying as his patience with the young woman was beginning to wane.

"So I am."

"Aria, if this is some kind of joke to you-"

"Does this _look _like a joke?" she asked in a harsh, quiet tone.

James could visibly see the shift in the air around his daughter as a soft, silvery glow began to form from her eyes, and he knew something was off. "You abandoned mother," Aria was saying. "You abandoned Caleb. You abandoned me."

"Stop this," James commanded harshly and by now the whole tavern was fully tuned in to the argument the man was having with his daughter who was, in fact, visible to the human eyes in the room at the moment. "Stop this right now, Aria."

"You abandoned your _family_," she snapped. "How could you do that to us?!"

James looked about the room uneasily before turning a harsh look back on his daughter. "You have no right to accuse me of such a thing, Aria!" he reprimanded in a tone that could freeze the oceans. "I left because-"

Aria gave a small sound of frustrated anger as her tight fisted hands began to sprout the silvery white flames. "Shut up," she said in an angrily calm tone.

"Do _not _talk to me-" James started until a well-aimed punch cut off his reply and sent him stumbling backwards.

The tavern had gone eerily quiet as Aria stood glaring down at her father with an anger and hatred no one knew she could possess. "I said, _shut up_," she barely managed to say through her anger.

"You _ungrateful _little _bitch_!" James yelled.

Aria's hard fought control of her anger finally snapped. From deep within her core, a feeling of pure energy and power raced through her filling her with a massive surge of what felt like adrenaline. Around her feet a silver circle formed spreading a bright light in a clockwise circle while her eyes began to glow a white. "What in the name…" a man started to say as he backed away from the young woman with the dark red-brown hair.

The circle of light on the floor suddenly surged away from the circle in a bright wall of what appeared to be light. The people in the tavern raced to safety in hopes to avoid the uncertain magic that was coming from the girl. As it died down, some of the wooden floor caught flame along with the wooden supports. The silver flames turned to a bright orange and began to devour the tavern in a hungry flame. It spread quickly, and those who were in the confines of the building immediately left with the image of the girl still in their mind.

However, James was not so lucky as he tried to locate his enraged daughter. He was caught by the throat and thrust up against the unburned wall of the stairs by Aria. His brown eyes bore into Aria's white glowing ones. She was stunned by the fear that _radiated _off the man, but did not dwell on that fact as she glared at him. "What…what are you?!" James stuttered.

"A spirit," Aria said simple, and James could hear the underlying rage within the words.

"Aria, please…"

"Do not try and _beg _for my forgiveness," Aria growled through her teeth. "You do not deserve it."

Her father smirked at her as he tried to hide his fear. "And what are you going to do, Aria Dear?" he sneered though the slight quaver in his voice gave away his true feelings. "You cannot _do _anything."

Aria let go of her father and whipped out her long dagger. "I am going to send you to _hell_!" she snapped.

Before James could say another word, she slashed his neck in a quick motion, a fire flaming on the blade's edge. He slumped to the ground as his blood poured out from the open neck wound, and a fire began to envelope his body. Aria's anger increased and she let out an enraged cry causing the fire to flame up even more so than before.

The whole tavern was in flames as Aria walked out unscathed while others raced to try and put the fire out. So consumed was she in her anger that several more fires began to rise up along the other wooden structures. Wooden beams and pieces of buildings that were up in flames fell into some of the closer stockades and stores setting them aflame. People raced about trying to find a way to stop the spreading flames that seemed to move _away _from the river and towards the forest. Many bore wounds from the fire that ate away at the upper half of the town closest to the forest as they raced to and fro in the streets.

Aria, however, walked through the chaos as if it were nothing. Torvus had taken off away from the flames to the safety of the woods as soon as he had felt Aria's anger surge. The huntress's eyes were still glowing white, and wherever she walked the already aflame buildings seemed to burn a little brighter. The terrified people moved out of her way and ran from her sight except for one young boy. The twelve year old boy ran straight up to the angered spirit and began to cry. "You have to help me," his little voice pierced through Aria's enraged heart. "Please, my sister is stuck in the house!"

His little hand grabbed Aria's as her eyes dimmed in their glow. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at the boy. "Where?" she asked in a tight voice.

"This way!" the little boy said in a hurried tone and began to drag Aria toward a fire covered house. "She is on the second floor-"

"Stay. Here," Aria growled out through her teeth at the little boy as she pronounced each word in a slow manner to make sure he got what she was saying. "I will get her."

Aria left the little boy and raced into the fire that parted for her. The whole house was covered in the hot fire, but it seemed to not touch Aria as she ran through the empty house. She maneuvered her way up the stairs and onto the second floor landing. As she stopped, she could hear a little girl crying for help in the nearby room. Without hesitating, Aria burst through the flaming door and found the little girl huddled in the middle of the room with tears streaming down her face. The little girl could not have been more than seven with a head of thick, black hair and a pair of dark brown doe eyes. Her fear gleaming eyes looked up at Aria's, and she cringed back a little more. "Do not be frightened," Aria said as she began to calm down some and put on a mask over her anger for the little girl's sake. "I am here to help."

"Please…do not hurt me…" the girl pleaded.

"I will not hurt you," Aria assured the girl as she crouched down and held her hand out to her. "I only want to help."

The little girl hesitated, but at the crack of a wooden beam overhead she raced forward into Aria's arms. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her face in Aria's shoulder in hopes to escape the fearful sight and sounds that surrounded them. Aria gathered the girl in her arms and made her way out of the room and down the stairs. The flames blocking the entrance to the house died down and parted ways for Aria as she walked out of the flaming house unscathed with the little girl. The little girl's mother and father had joined up with the little boy and looked beyond terrified and relieved to find their daughter unharmed. The woman was speaking Spanish rapidly as she took the little girl from Aria's arms. "Miss," the father said stopping Aria in her tracks. "Thank you…thank you so much…"

Aria gave a small nod over her shoulder in thanks before she continued to walk away. "Who are you?" the woman called after her in a thick Spanish accent.

Aria didn't stop walking though, but instead turned her head halfway over her shoulder to reply. "A huntress," she responded.

Before the family could say anything more, Aria faded away from view as she passed by two flaming buildings and left the family to gawk at where she was just at.

Aria made it to the forest and continued to walk for several minutes before her anger was completely fizzled out and instead replaced with exhaustion. She felt herself fall to the ground in a heap as her body gave up on her for she had used a lot of energy and magic. Even though she was a spirit, she still had her limitations.

* * *

Pitch had been drawn to the massive amount of fear that was quite literally radiating off the small developing town. When he arrived to see what was causing the fear, he was shocked to find it to be a fire. He had watched as the tavern was lit aflame in an outburst of fire, and was even more shocked when a particular figure walked out of the tavern. Wherever she walked, she left a path of flame in her wake. She lit building after building on fire in her own anger, and, for the first time in a long while, Pitch felt the stirring of fear within him from the massive amount of energy and emotion that was coming from the huntress as she walked through the town. "She has no idea what she is capable of," Pitch muttered to himself as he followed the huntress through the town.

He was beginning to wonder if she was the spirit embodiment of destruction, incapable of feeling anything other than anger and pain when she was stopped by a young child. He was no more than twelve at the most, yet Aria willingly let the kid lead her to a burning house in which the child's sister was trapped inside. At this, Pitch was sure Aria would bring upon destruction to the two children, but once again he was surprised that the huntress was able to pull herself together for the moment and rescue the little girl. If only for a moment.

Then, he saw the signs of fatigue begin to encroach upon the young woman. He followed her into the woods, still curious as to the power she held within her, but was shocked when he watched Aria collapse as exhaustion took its toll on her. He looked down at the girl and scrutinized her current position. "Something is missing…" Pitch muttered when he noticed that a current creature was not with her.

"If I were you, I would back away now," a voice growled from behind Pitch.

"Ah," Pitch said in a calm tone as if he just figured something out, "the mimic hound," he finished as he turned about to face Torvus.

Torvus stood poised to attack Pitch with a challenging gleam in his ice blue to amber eyes. "What do you want now?" Torvus asked harshly as he moved around Pitch to stand in front of Aria's still form.

"I was merely curious as to where the fear was coming from," Pitch answered smoothly as he took in the horse's muscular body and sharp, canine like teeth. "She has exhausted herself far too much."

"I can see that," the horse snorted.

"I am also very curious as to how the mortals can see her without _believing _in her."

At this, Torvus's expression changed to one of confusion. "What do you mean?" he huffed.

"As a spirit," Pitch began in a less than amused tone, "the mortals must _believe _in you to _see _you."

"Not everyone can see us."

"They can only see you when _you want _them too," Pitch said in a short tone toward the horse. "That is a rare gift as is the secret power she has hidden away within her."

"The fire?" Torvus asked as he tried to piece together what the dark man was saying.

"It is a gift from my old friend…a rare gift that seemingly is only accessed through extreme emotions," Pitch was saying as he looked up at the sky to view the rather round, nearly full, moon. "A gift indeed…" he muttered.

Torvus glowered at Pitch as he shifted into his large wolf form and he settled himself down next to Aria's sleeping form. "What was she looking for here in this town?" Pitch asked suddenly.

The mimic hound gave an angry snort before lying his head down on his paws. "Her poor excuse of a father," he growled as he slowly shut his eyes.

Pitch looked at the two with a stunned expression on his face. It was an interesting sight to see with the mimic hound curled protectively around the young huntress. Pitch had to give a small smile at the sight as he stood back for a moment and looked up at the moon. "So…you have graced these two with rare gifts, old friend," he said to the moon. "Why is that?"

In an answer, a soft breeze began to blow, and Pitch got his answer as he looked from the moon to the two sleeping spirits. "They are protectors," he mumbled, "and they are skilled in the ways of the hunt."

An answering light from the moon agreed with Pitch.

Pitch gave a small chuckle. "The Spirit of the Hunt…the Huntress…you have a fine way of naming your spirits, old friend," he spoke to the moon. "And what about me? You give me the name of the Nightmare King. Would you create someone skilled and powerful as these two just to hunt _me_? I am flattered…"

The moon's glow dimmed a bit as if in disagreement with Pitch.

"Then they are to hunt _others _that mean more harm than just _fear_, for which I am known," Pitch grumbled. "You do still care for me…how touching…"

The moon beamed brightly for a moment before fading back it its usual glow.

"Old friend, you are full of surprises still," Pitch mumbled as he looked back to the two sleeping spirits. "Always full of surprises…"


	3. Chapter 3: Leap of Faith

Chapter 3: Leap of Faith

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**A/N: Yes, we are still going...slowly XD. I actually am enjoying writing bits and pieces of Aria's history that help flesh out her character. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and as always, reviews are lovely! I respond to them all! Sorry for the next two chapters being so short. They are sort of fillers, but are also rather important...just saying...**

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**an awesome anon: **Thanks a tone ^^ And yes, I will keep writing. I have the next chapter done as well.

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Aria woke the next morning to her head pounding and her body aching all over. She felt as though she had been run over by a horse…multiple times. The exhaustion still had not left her, and she had the desire to close her eyes and fall back asleep if it were not for the presence of a certain person that seemed to appear whenever she woke. Aria hid her grimace as her muscles groaned in pain as she sat up. Torvus stirred from beside her, and was instantly awake when Aria let out an involuntary intake of breath as she tried to move faster than necessary. "I would take it easy if I were you," the smooth voice of Pitch said as Aria slumped back against the ground. "You used a lot of energy that you should not have."

"What…the hell…" Aria mumbled as she closed her eyes against the moon's partial light. "How long…"

"Two days to be exact," Pitch replied easily as he held a hand out to Aria. "Would you care for some help? It would be better if you started to move around some more…ease the pain…"

Aria peeked open an eye and scrutinized the hand for a moment before she gave a sigh. "Thanks…" she mumbled as she took the hand and allowed Pitch to help her up onto her feet.

To say Pitch was shocked the huntress felt no fear from the contact between them would have been an understatement. He was literally gawking at the young woman for a moment before he recovered. "What is with the face, sir?" Aria asked in a short tone as she looked back at Pitch's rather shocked face.

"You do not fear me," he stated simply.

Aria gave a small chuckle that held her underlying grimace from the pain it caused her. She grabbed her side and took several shallow gulps of air before she recovered. "No?" she responded in a sort of question. "Why would I fear you?"

"You are new to…this side of the world," Pitch began as he gauged Aria's reaction. "I am known as the Nightmare King, the very embodiment of fear itself. I am the darkness of this world."

"So…you live off of other's fear?" Aria asked still rather unfazed by the information.

"It makes me stronger," Pitch added.

"That is…" Aria frowned then let out a small chuckle to which she grabbed her side again and nearly stumbled. "Honestly, I do not know how that is…we all have to live off of something, right?"

Instead of asking what she meant, Pitch let the comment go. "Why, of all things, did you search for your father?" he asked.

"Do I have anything better to do?" Aria asked bitterly. "He deserved what he got…"

"Did he, now?"

Aria didn't respond for her core began to ache at the anger that started to rise up from within her. She visibly flinched as a burning sensation filled her causing her to stumble backward into a furry coat. "Aria?" Torvus asked as his ice blue to amber eyes.

"I am alright, Torvus," Aria responded though the hidden pain in her voice was all too evident.

"No you are not," Torvus replied with a huff.

"Yes, I am. Shut it," she added at catching sight of Torvus's disagreement.

Torvus gave a soft growl before shifting once more back into a horse. He nosed Aria's face and then glared at Pitch. "We should get going, Aria," Torvus commented as he caught sight of Pitch once again thinking, and he didn't trust the man yet.

"And where will you go?" Pitch asked as Aria turned to climb into the saddle.

"That is the question, isn't it?" Aria asked in what seemed like resentment as she turned to face Pitch. "It seems that wherever I have gone I have brought you with me. Do I really induce that much fear into people that _you _happen to appear?"

"So far, you have," Pitch answered as he took a few steps closer to Aria. "But, I can offer you my help."

"Help? With what?" Torvus asked with a laugh. "If _I _remember correctly, all you bring is _darkness _and _fear_. How will you help Aria with _that_?"

Aria looked at Torvus, and then back at the Nightmare King. In that glance, Pitch knew that the huntress's loyalties lied with her horse even though she was torn between having someone help her and listen to Torvus. "Thanks, but I need to find my own way around for now," Aria finally managed to respond as she began to clamber into the saddle albeit painfully.

The feeling of hurt hit Pitch once more, but he brushed it off rather quickly. Maybe, in time, she would come to trust him and he would no longer be alone. "If you ever find yourself alone," Pitch started though Torvus could hear the sly tone underling the words, "you may always find me."

Without looking at Pitch, Aria gave a slight huff. "And for whose benefit would that be for? Yours, or mine?" she asked heatedly.

Pitch gave an indifferent shrug. "I am merely offering you my company, Aria," he said as the shadows seemed to creep up on him. "My offer stands. You need only to follow the fear."

"That much I got."

"What will you do now?"

"I will do I what I do best," Aria responded as she turned to look at Pitch with a small, cocky smile on her face. "I will hunt any who wish harm upon others."

"I wish you luck, Aria," Pitch said with a reassuring smile before he disappeared into the shadows completely leaving Aria with a small twinge of pain as she realized that she might have just rejected the closest person to an acquaintance other than her horse.

Torvus began to walk forward when he suddenly stopped and peered at Aria though the corner of his eyes. "You know, we have all the time in the world to hone our skills," he started excitedly.

Aria smiled at the horse. "If you are thinking what I am thinking, then yes, I will gladly risk my neck to perfect some of the crazier stunts that we could not perform as mortals," she responded.

"Maybe we should start easy such as learning more about our skills and abilities," Torvus was saying as he started off at an excited trot.

"And where exactly do you think we can do such a thing?" Aria asked uneasily though excitement coursed through her very being.

"Everywhere…"

* * *

"How high am I going again?" Aria called down to the horse as he stood with his neck craned up to watch the young hunter climb the rock face of a particularly dangerous mountain.

"Higher!" Torvus called back.

"I thought I was high enough!"

"I'm not that quick at shifting, Aria!"

Aria was silent for a moment as she slipped up onto an outcropping and took in the sight before her. The mountain was covered in snow as far as the eye could see, and so far she and Torvus were the only two being on that side of the mountain. She let out a contented sigh as she marveled in the past few decades that she and Torvus had been together as spirits. They had traveled far and wide across the great oceans and the rolling plains.

They had also increased their skill levels with only each other. Torvus's shifting came faster and more natural to him with each passing month, along with his transition into the new forms. He was able to go from an equine to an avian rather fast and keep his senses about him as he did so.

Aria learned that she was actually a lot more nimble and swift on her feet then when she was normally. She learned how to walk with the silence of a spirit and how to hide herself from prying eyes when she, as Pitch had put it, did not 'want' people to 'see' her. She grew in the ways of the bow and had become close to a master archer with all the time she spent with her bow and Torvus. She learned how to use her bow while riding Torvus's different forms other than a horse, and had found it to be oddly the same, though it took a good long while before she got used to the different forms and how to ride them. The hawk was, in Aria's opinion, the most challenging to learn how to ride and attack from. It required a good deal of strength and knowledge of the air that she did not possess. It had taken hundreds of hard falls and many more crashes into trees until Aria was finally able to hold her own on Torvus's feathered back. But, once that had been accomplished, Aria was ready to take down her next task.

She had also learned the art of stealth as well as how to climb various objects such as rough buildings made of stone, brick, wood, and other materials along with being able to climb many different types of landscapes. It was no easy task, and had taken a good several years until Aria finally figured out how to keep herself steady on each obstacle, and it took another several years until she nearly mastered it. She still had trouble moving quickly across rough terrain, but she was slowly becoming accustomed to her new way of life.

Aria let out another sigh before looking back down at Torvus with a smirk on her face. "This isn't going to be like last time, right?" she asked as she turned to begin to climb higher.

"You didn't hurt yourself _that _bad," Torvus called back with an injured tone in his voice.

"No, of course not," Aria mumbled to herself as she scaled the cliff face. "You just _let _me fall to my near death and _caught _me before I could hit the ground. Oh, and that tree that I so happened to be flown right into was never there and it was _my _fault that your weight shifted dramatically causing you to fly into the tree. No, I didn't hurt myself that bad at all…"

"That's good right there!"

"I don't even have a place to jump off of!" Aria called back with a slight tease.

Torvus was about to respond when he gave off a warning growl. "Aria-" he started.

"Oh, come on, Torvus, I am only messing with you!" Aria laughed.

"May I ask what on earth are you doing hanging from the side of the cliff?" a silky voice drawled from several feet above Aria's head.

Aria turned her shocked look upon Pitch, someone she hadn't seen in five years. "Pitch…what are you doing here?" Aria asked with a small smile.

It was true that she and Torvus had become friendly with the Nightmare King, but other than the occasional small talk or a small trip together, their encounters with each other were minimal. Pitch was the one who taught Aria how to become more silent than she already was as well as how to blend with her surroundings like a shadow. Of course, it had been most amusing for the Nightmare King as Aria took more than a year to learn how to work with her surroundings to hide herself from curious onlookers and other spirits, but eventually she was able to move about without being seen or heard much like Pitch.

Aria, in turn, also taught Pitch how to read people in a way that one would read a book. It was a talent she had inherited from her father, and she was always good at picking the small details out about the game she hunted which had quickly transferred over to people. She could often read their emotions and their past by studying their movements and listening to the way they went about their conversations. But it was a talent that required long hours of patience, and even now Aria still wasn't as patient as she should be.

Despite the small, friendly meetings and the exchanging of learned skills, Aria and Pitch were still wary of each other though they were on a level of low friendship. Neither had the means to harm the other and it lead to their mutual friendship, though Torvus was still on high alert around the Nightmare King. But, that may have been from him being a mimic hound.

"I was on my way to a nearby town that has some rather…compelling individuals within it," Pitch said as he looked over Aria's form clinging to the mountain side. "However, I would _love _to hear the reason behind your madness to hang on the side of this mountain."

"I am about to jump off the side of this cliff so that Torvus can redeem himself and actually catch me this time," Aria said and craned her neck around to peer down at the horse. "Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are!" Torvus responded.

Pitch gave a small chuckle in amusement. "This ought to be interesting," he mumbled.

"And when is it not?" Aria fired back as she positioned herself so that her back was to the cliff.

Without another word, Aria pushed off from the mountain face and into the open air. Pitch watched the young huntress free fall down toward the snow covered earth below, and was just about to help her out when Torvus's grey feathered form zipped through the air and easily caught Aria on his back without so much as making the landing uncomfortable. Aria let out a loud 'whoop' of joy as Torvus turned on a dime and circled back. Pitch smiled at the two as he watched the grey feathered hawk gracefully maneuver through the air in carefully practiced acrobatic tricks with the dark red-brown haired girl on his back.

_They have become stronger from what they started out as,_ Pitch thought. _Their bond runs deep…deeper than anything I have ever witnessed._

Torvus swooped down close to the outcropping Pitch was standing on, but didn't land. Instead, Aria easily jumped off the hawk's back and landed in a roll on the outcropping. She popped back up and was unsteady on her feet for a moment before she regained her bearings about her once more. "Landing…I have got to work on that…" she mumbled to herself before beaming up at Pitch. "How was _that _for you? Better than last time?"

"Much," Pitch smiled back. "You two have a strong bond with one another, and have indeed grown stronger from the last time I saw you."

"Really? How long ago was that?" Aria asked in shock.

"A good ten years now."

"Wow…it has been that long?"

"Since we last saw each other, yes."

Aria frowned for a moment before looking up at Pitch with a serious expression. "What day is it?" she asked.

"It is December fourteenth, nineteen-eighty," Pitch answered easily.

Aria was stunned, and had to mentally click off the dates in her head before she shook her head in dismay. "It's…it's been a long while…" she muttered.

Torvus flew in to land behind Aria, and shifted back into a horse for the time being. "What is it, Aria?" he asked as he nuzzled the girl.

Aria gave a small smile to the horse before looking back out over the landscape below them. "It's my birthday, Torvus," she said as she stroked the horse's forehead.

"And exactly how old will you be?" Pitch asked with curiosity nipping at his mind.

Aria chuckled. "I'm still eighteen but…" she paused for a moment to count off the years, "I am technically two-hundred and two years old."

"Still _much _younger than me," Pitch responded as he gave a chuckle.

"And how old are you?" Aria countered with a tease in her voice.

"Old," Pitch responded.

Aria and Pitch chuckled slightly at the thought of just how old Pitch truly was despite his immortality. "I would rather not dwell on _that_," Pitch added.

They were silent for a moment before Pitch turned to Aria and looked the young huntress over once more. He frowned at her rather bedraggled look that had formed from the years she had spent hidden away from the eyes of humans while she worked on becoming a better fitted spirit that would own up to her name. Her clothes hung limply off her toned and fit feminine build, and her hair was just about everywhere. It had grown out rather long and was in need of a trim desperately. She looked to have been through countless fights as well, and bits and pieces of her clothing held the evidence of such fights. He shook his head and sighed. "You look awful, Aria," he finally commented as his eyes moved from Aria to her horse noticing that the stallion was in no better shape than his ride. "Both of you."

"It has been a while since you last saw us," Torvus added gruffly.

"Thanks, Pitch," Aria smiled in mock offense. "I appreciate that."

Pitch shook his head and moved to tell the young huntress he meant it as both a joke and a serious tone when suddenly Aria tensed up. The sky had grown increasingly grey with snow heavy clouds, and now the sun was completely blocked out. The darkness that was settling over the area was unnerving for even Pitch, who had felt the change occur, yet as he looked to Aria she seemed unfazed by the change in the atmosphere. Her calm demeanor changed drastically to one of alert and battle ready. Pitch knew that look all too well and had already figured out what was going through Aria's head as she pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow on it. "Your latest quarry is back?" he questioned.

Aria gave a sharp nod. "Yes," she answered as her eyes flashed with hunger at the kill.

Pitch was about to ask more when Aria's enemy appeared in front of them. It was a solid black form of what appeared to be a man with, unsurprisingly, bat like wings. Pitch jumped back in shock of the sudden appearance while Aria fired an arrow from the oddly endless supply that always filled her quiver. The creature reared away in shock as it dodged the arrow before it came in to attack once more. "What the hell is that?" Pitch asked Aria as the creature shrieked and back away from the deadly arrow once more.

"A demon," Aria answered calmly. "They work just like your Fearlings do. With you being here, it seems more confident than before," Aria continued despite Pitch's mumbling.

"And, what exactly are you going to do with it? Aria?"

"I am going to eliminate it, of course!" Aria responded as a loud hawk shrieked in a challenge.

Pitch turned and watched Torvus dive off the outcropping with Aria on his back. The hawk rose into the sky and flew after the demon with incredible speed. Pitch hoped that the young huntress would keep herself out of harm's way.

Torvus beat his wings in a rhythmic tune as he flew after the demon. It shrieked again as it lead them onward deeper into the icy lands. Over the past two hundred years, she had also been hunting the Fearling-like demons that sprouted up anywhere they could. She assumed they formed from those with corrupted hearts who died. Their strength ranged from a one, being the weakest, to a five, being the strongest and most likely to best Aria in a fight. So far, she had ranked this particular demon as a three.

What she didn't expect, however, was the ambush it lead her into. Without warning, something careened into her and sent her toppling from Torvus's back right into the snow covered ground. Torvus cried out in shock as he, too, went down from the impact of something else. Aria regained her wits as quick as she could, and just in time too as she ducked under the swing of a war ax. "Torvus! Are you alright?!" she called out as she pulled her long dagger out from the sheath on her belt and defended herself as best as she could against the demonic creature.

"I am alright!" Torvus growled back as he shifted into a wolf. "You take care of those two and I will get these!"

"Right…" Aria mumbled as she blocked another hard blow.

She parried away and slid around the swing of the ax to maneuver her long dagger right into the creature's back. Aria whipped her dagger out and turned to face the next demon when it tackled her to the ground. Its strength outmatched hers a great deal, and she was struggling to keep the sword away from her throat enough as it was without the added weight of the demon on top of her. It growled in her face seeming to enjoy her struggle when Aria slammed her head into it causing them both to become dizzy. "Holy shit…not good…" Aria grumbled as she staggered to her feet away from the demon as she tried to gain her bearings once more.

The demon was the first to clear its head and he attacked again before Aria had time to comprehend what was going on. She dodged shakily and resisted crying out as the sword cut through her right shoulder to the bottom left of her back. Blood welled up from the wound and pour out drenching her back quickly in the hot, sticky liquid. She staggered again as she tried to dodge the shrieking demon, but wasn't as fast as she should have been. The sword cut through her stomach in a clean arc as she jumped back away from the demon. Her blood soaked through her tattered clothes as Aria gasped for breath. She vaguely heard her name being called by Torvus, but was too pissed off at finding herself getting her ass kicked. She managed to block the third strike and punched the demon in the middle of his face.

Her anger at the creature rose up causing the pure, powerful energy deep within her core to begin to ignite. She felt it rise up as it seeped into her bloodstream giving her the little bit of strength needed to keep fighting. Aria's anger was apparent in her eyes as they began to glow a soft white as she fought onward. She blocked the demon's attack again and this time, was able to flick her wrist back around quick enough to switch grips on the dagger so that she had it facing her forearm. In a quick motion, she violently slashed the demon's neck as she turned away from it.

It fell to the snow in a gurgling noise as its black blood began to stain the white snow in oil like liquid. Aria surveyed the area and found Torvus ripping the head off the last demon in the area, and smiled, glad to see that her mimic hound was unharmed. At the thought, her back began to ache in a harsh pain and she doubled over falling to her knees in the snow. Her stomach felt as though it were on fire with a thousand needles pricking into the open wound as the icy air nipped at the ripped flesh. The amount of blood Aria was losing sent her into unconsciousness. As she fell in the snow, she was vaguely aware of the sound of bells jingling in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4: New Faces

Chapter 4: New Faces

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**A/N: Hello dear readers, thank you for reading and reviewing! It means a lot! I thought I would post another chapter tonight. I recently watched the movie with my littlest sibling who was dead set that Pitch needed to die. I was sitting there trying to tell her that Pitch was just overly jealous and its not good to root for him to die. She told me, very seriously, that Pitch was not jealous but evil and didn't deserve to be seen by the kids.**

**I felt very bad for Pitch...I still do...**

**Anyhow, here is another filler. I hope you all enjoy and as always, I love reading reviews!**

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**sherlockian: **Thank you, and here is an update as well! And yes, Aria does kind of resemble Artemis, one of my favorite Greek goddesses as well. Although what sets them very far apart will be shown in due time. Though, I can say Aria being the Spirit of the Hunt was inspired by Artemis. I wanted to go for someone who could vary in personality and have leeway for character development. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

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Her back and stomach throbbed with pain as she laid there in the bed. _Wait…a bed? I passed out in the snow…_Aria thought to herself when her eyes snapped open. _Where the hell am I?!_

Her eyes scanned the room and found that it was, in fact, a rather large bedroom with a giant window on the right wall, a door leading out somewhere on the opposite wall, a dark wood amour facing the bed and another door that lead off into what might have been a bathroom opposite of the fireplace nearest the farthest corner of the room.

She turned and shot up from her position on her side in the bed when a large, jolly looking man with a white beard and a bit of white hair on his head came into her view. His red plaid shirt was stretched over a well fed belly, and his thick brown boots clomped everywhere he went. The sound reverberated in Aria's ears as she turned and began to get out of the bed when large hands that knew a great deal of gentleness fell upon her shoulders. "You should not move so fast," a voice thick with a Russian accent said. "You are in no condition to move quick."

Aria opened her clenched eyes and peered down at her bare feet and gave a small start. She was in a pair of grey shorts and a white long sleeved shirt. She didn't remember changing and suddenly felt very small. "What is your name?" the man asked.

Aria took in a deep, steadying breath and looked up into the bright blue eyes of the man's comforting face. His big, black bushy eyebrows knit together in a frown for a moment before he gave another reassuring nod in the young woman's direction. "You speak?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, sir," Aria said as her world finally stopped its spinning. "I was just a bit dizzy."

"You lie down and rest-"

"Where is Torvus?" Aria asked suddenly. "Where is my horse?"

"There was no horse, only big hound," the man replied.

"Where is he?"

"Not here. You are safe from demons. What is your name?"

"I am Aria, sir," the young woman replied. "How did I end up here?"

"You were fighting demons when you fell. I brought you back."

Aria took in the information with slight anger as she stood up uneasily. The man was slightly apprehensive of the girl as her eyes took on a brighter look before they died back down to the odd silver color. "So…I passed out," she stated angrily.

"Erm…well…yes…"

"Wonderful," Aria growled out before she cleared her throat an awkwardly looked down at herself. "Um…how did I get into…these?" she asked sheepishly.

"That was friend who helped you into current clothes. But now, you need something-"

"More substantial," a new voice added from the doorway.

Aria turned a challenging look upon the newcomer only to become rather confused by the human hummingbird cross. She was, in Aria's honest opinion, pretty in an odd way. She flitted over toe Aria and got up close and personal to the young huntress. "How are you-" she started in a concerned tone when Aria glared daggers at her.

"Not to be rude or anything, miss," Aria started, "but could I have some space, please?"

"Oh, sorry," the woman said as she flitted back to an arm's length away from the young hunter. "I am just worried. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Aria responded instantly and flinched when she saw the look of shock on the odd woman's face, though Aria was sure the human hummingbird cross was only around the age of seventeen at the youngest. "Sorry…"

"What is your name?"

"Aria."

"Tooth," the large man reprimanded quickly as he placed a large hand on the flying woman's shoulder, "do not crowd her. She just woke up."

"Tooth?" Aria mumbled to herself.

"My name is Toothiana," the woman said with a bright, encouraging smile. "I am the Tooth Fairy. And this is Nicholas St. North-"

"Ah…just North," the man intervened.

"North found you in the snow and brought you back here, and sent for me to help you," Tooth went on despite the interruption on behalf of the jolly man.

Aria cocked her head to the side before letting out a small huff. "You have got to be joking…" she mumbled as she realized, with quite a bit of shock, that she was standing in the heart of the North Pole. "The North Pole…I was in the North Pole all this time?"

"What do you mean?" North asked.

"Uh…nothing," Aria quickly recovered before she looked down at herself and grimaced slightly. "Not to seem rude or anything, but, would you happen to have some clothes I may borrow?"

At this, Tooth's face little up in a smile. "I know we just met, but your dingy old clothes had to go," she said as she gently grabbed Aria's hand and began to lead her over to the bathroom. "You need to wash up first while I go find your new clothes-"

"New clothes?" Aria asked still quite stunned by both North and Tooth's hospitality.

"Yes, of course! We can't have you running around looking like something pulled off the streets," Tooth said as she gave Aria a gentle push into the bathroom. "Be careful with your wounds. They may hurt."

Tooth shut the door on Aria and soon, the sound of water running could be heard coming from the bathroom along with a nice, colorful string of profanities. "Why is she so…shocked to see us?" Tooth asked North.

"She's been living alone for two hundred years," North answered as he placed a polished up bow and quiver on the unmade bed along with a pair of new, black leather boots and a set of clothes.

"What is she?" Tooth asked quietly as they made their way out of the room to give the girl some privacy.

"I don't know…we will have to ask."

Aria cleaned up as best as she could and managed to detangle her hair. She needed a trim rather badly and decided to ask Tooth if she was any good at cutting hair. She finished drying off the best she could and redressed in her undergarments before opening up the door and peeking out. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that the other two had left her privacy. She walked over to her bed where her new set of clothes sat. She pulled on a just above thigh-length long sleeved, tan shirt that fit to her curves and muscles overtop of her bandages along with a pair of fitting dark brown pants, and then pulled on the new, black leather boots. She turned to the full length mirror next to the amour and examined herself in it. She was stunned by how she looked so much stronger yet feminine in the new clothes where as she must have looked like something off the streets in her old clothes.

A knock on the door drew her attention away from herself. "I am decent," she called.

Tooth entered and smiled at Aria. "They fit nicely," she commented as she observed Aria's full form.

"Thank you for them. I really appreciate it," Aria replied and then turned a bit sheepish. "Um…how well can you cut hair?" she asked.

Tooth giggled at the question. "I'm not a professional, but I am pretty good."

"Would you be able to give mine a trim?" Aria asked.

"Of course."

Within minutes, Tooth had trimmed up Aria's long, dark red-brown hair back to a mid-back length. Aria said thanks and placed it up into a French braid but left her side bangs down on the right side. With her hair tied off with a sturdy silver clasp, Aria turned to her polished up bow and quiver, and donned them on once more feeling complete, though something was missing. "Um…do you know where my dagger is?" she asked.

"I do, but you need something better than silly old dagger," North said as he walked in with a sheathed blade. "This will help you more. It is a short sword made for close combat fighting. You are a good fighter, but you need practice."

"I do need practice…but thank you. For everything," Aria said as she strapped the short sword onto her back right under her quiver of arrows for easy reach. "This means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it! Just a helping hand to a…uh…are you a spirit?" North began to falter at the end.

"I am," Aria said with a nod. "You may have heard of me before. I am also known as the Huntress."

At this, both North and Tooth grew quite shocked. "Huntress? _The _Huntress?" North asked.

Aria nodded. "Thank you for all that you have done, but I really need to find Torvus," Aria started when North gave a nod.

"You need to leave so soon?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Come then, this is the way out," North said as he turned and began to walk out the room with Aria and Tooth on his heels.

"So, you are not blind then," Tooth commented.

"No," Aria grumbled in annoyance at always hearing the same question. "I am not."

Tooth giggled slightly. "Do you get that a lot?" she asked.

"More than you would think."

They traveled down a hall and then exited the building and emerged out onto a snow covered courtyard. Right away, Aria knew that this 'workshop' was a large Russian palace with the workshop at the heart of the palace. She knew that she was only placed at the infirmary side, but that didn't bother her. At the moment she needed to know if Torvus was alright. She stuck her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled loudly causing her ears to ring along with North's and Tooth's. "Sorry," she mumbled but brightened up at the sound of an approaching creature.

"Aria, you're alright!" Torvus cried as he landed.

"Are you hurt?" Aria asked the hawk as North and Tooth both looked on with confused expressions.

"No, but when you disappeared I thought they had taken you. I've been looking everywhere and I had just found this place…don't scare me like that," Torvus said in a harsh, reprimanding tone.

"I am sorry," Aria responded as she gave the bird a hug before turning back to North and Tooth. "Thank you, once more, for everything you have done."

"Please do be careful," Tooth said.

"You take care," North added.

"Come on, Torvus," Aria said as she climbed into the saddle, "we have demons to hunt."

Neither North nor Tooth missed the angry, hungry glint in the huntress's eyes as she mentioned the demons. They exchanged a concerned look before they turned back to watch the hawk take off into the slowly growing night sky.


	5. Chapter 5: The Winter Spirit

Chapter 5: Tracking Winter

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**A/N: I rewrote this several times...not overly happy with this chapter, but oh well. Sorry if you guys don't like this chapter either. I promise the next one will be better...much better. Yes, we are getting into the movie verse. My goal is to keep it down to at LEAST four to five chapters. It is, in fact, a big part of the story. No, it will (*clears throat*hopefully*clears throat again*) NOT seem like a character-thrown- into-story sort of deal. Or, if it does, at least I hope it will be friggen good! XD Sorry, rambling.**

**Anyway, I hope this doesn't deter you awesome readers, and I will do my best to make this as awesome as possible! I have to give Aria some kind of addition to her background as well as progress through the story with the Guardians being involved a bit as well. (Good lord, my LOTR fanfic was SO much easier to write...so much easier...). So, without further delay (and my rambling), here we go!**

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**an awesome anon (Ch. 3): **Thanks! And I tried to give them their own, non-confusing background that was pretty clear to understand and relate to. I also have a HUGE love for action scenes, and I mean huge! My LOTR's fanfic has some nice, gory, action-packed battle scenes that I spent a good deal of time writing, reviewing, and editing. I love action, and it is so much fun to write. Honestly, its like my drug writing battle scenes and the like (which is why I may seem a bit overboard sometimes with the action XD). And I honestly don't like rushed plots either. I feel...rushed reading them. I tried to be as original as possible (including these chapters with the movie verse). And thank you tons! I really appreciate your reviews and I am glad you enjoy this.

**Reader: **Thanks! And I'm glad you like it. Those were sort of filler chapters (they were short for even me XD), and were supposed to be a bit short. I didn't want to drag them on, and left them short (I could probably find a way to combine them later...). But I will try to make the chapters longer. I like long chapters as well :) And thank you for reviewing!

**an awesome anon (Ch. 4): **Thanks!

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A breath in and a breath out. That was all it took before she released the arrow that sailed through the air and embedded itself in the dark spirit's neck. He dropped dead like a fly in the snow as Torvus closed in on it as it bled onto the snow covered ground, the black oil-like blood making the snow look like it had ink on it. The blue roan stallion turned to look at the archer hidden in the shadows of the trees as she lowered her bow and moved out of the shadows that had seemingly melded to her form.

It had been twenty-two years since her first encounter with Tooth and North, two of the four Guardians, and she had been alone in solitude with only her horse as company. Not even Pitch ran into her anymore, and she could only wonder what the Nightmare King was up to. She hunted down the dark spirits that wished harm upon people, and disposed of them as well as mortal humans that wished harm upon those of the living world. She had gained her name, the Huntress, from her many deeds of hunting people, spirits, and animals alike. She was to _be _feared if one was on her bad side, as many had found out, though nothing as bad as the Great New Orleans Fire of 1794 had occurred in the years that passed.

She flipped her long French braid back over her shoulder and pushed her side bands out of her right eye as she stored away her bow and retrieved her red feather tipped arrow. Time had gone by so quick, yet it seemed like an eternity to Aria. She had acquaintances, such as North and Tooth, but they were always busy and seemed rather wary about her so she generally kept away from them. She readjusted the black, fingerless leather gloves she wore on her hands before turning to her horse. "Where to next, Torvus?" she asked.

"How about…" Torvus began but stopped as he looked up and spotted a green hummingbird like creature flying towards them. "What is _that_?"

"It looks like a mini Tooth," Aria responded as she held out her hand for the tiny half hummingbird-half human, hummingbird sized creature.

It began to twitter quickly and pointed in the direction the way she came: north. Aria frowned at the mini fairy's words but gave a nod. "Tell North that I will be there soon," she said with a nod.

The mini fairy gave a nod and zipped off in the direction of the North Pole. "What does the jolly old Russian want?" Torvus asked as he shifted into a grey feathered hawk. "He hasn't bothered to talk with you in the past two decades or so. Why now?"

"I don't know, but needs us. It's important apparently," Aria responded as she climbed into the saddle.

"And you are going to comply?"

"Of course," Aria responded. "They helped me out all those years ago. I owe North and Tooth for that."

"It's not like we have anything better to do anyhow," Torvus growled as he took to the skies.

"Oh, I thought randomly flying to places _was _something to do," Aria teased.

"Not exactly, Aria…"

"That was a joke-"

Torvus gave a shriek in laughter. "A _horrible _joke!"

"Shut up…"

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"Tooth, could you _please _quite down for a few minutes, mate?" Bunnymund asked in an annoyed huff, his Australian accent very prominent in his words.

"Sorry, Bunny, but I have a lot of work that I still need to get done," Tooth replied to the six foot and seven inched Pooka.

"Oy…" Bunny grumbled as he placed a paw on his forehead in annoyance.

Just then, a mini fairy zipped in and whispered in Tooth's ear causing the half hummingbird-half human Guardian of Memories to shut up instantly. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to North and gave him an incredulous look. "You sent for…_her_?" Tooth asked in slight fright.

"Her? Her who?" Bunny asked quickly as his nose twitched nervously.

The Sandman waved his arms up and down as he tried to get bunny's attention as a bow and arrow picture formed above his head along with other pictures that meshed into a mush of sand, but the Pooka was dead set on getting an answer from North and completely ignored the little man made of golden sand. "I sent for the Huntress of course," North said in his jolly, Russian accented voice. "She'll find Jack."

"North, we helped her once but that doesn't mean she isn't still dangerous. You heard the growing rumors that surround her," Tooth started when North waved her off.

"Nonsense! Aria will help us out."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there, mate!" Bunny said as he shook his paw holding a paintbrush in disbelief at the two other Guardians. "You said Huntress? As in-"

"Me," Aria's voice cut through the soon-to-rise argument.

The Guardians turned their heads to look at the huntress as she dismounted the blue roan horse and walked up to the four with a confident stride that told them she was happy to start a fight at any moment should she find the need to. Her stature and presence seemed rather out of place in the expanse of room before the large globe that held the lights of the children that believed in the Guardians. Both Tooth and North noticed just how different the younger spirit seemed to be now after the two decades of not meeting with them. The air that surrounded her seemed to tell, however minimal it was, of the power she held locked away within her. Even the Sandman noticed it as he tapped Bunny's furry leg. He nodded his head in Aria's direction and tried to convey his message, yet the Pooka couldn't tell what the little man was saying and brushed him off. "You sent a mini fairy for me," she started as she stopped in front of the big four.

"Yes, I did," North said with a nod.

"What do we need her for? She's a lone spirit and should be left alone," Bunny said before looking at Aria. "No offense, mate."

"None taken," Aria grumbled though it was very apparent that she had taken offense to the comment.

"We need to find Jack Frost. What better way than to have Aria help?" North asked.

"I don't trust her, North," Bunny said as he eyed Aria with a wary expression.

Instead of answer the Pooka, Aria ignored him. There was a reason the big four didn't get along with the huntress, yet she didn't know why. They seemed to fear her yet she could never figure out why that it was, and that lead to her avoiding them at all costs. She was only there because North and Tooth had helped her and had been the most hospitable to her when she needed it. "What do you need my help with, North?" Aria asked.

"I need you to find Jack Frost," he said simply. "We have plan, but we don't have Jack."

"I am only finding him for you, and that is it. Correct?" Aria confirmed as Torvus began to shift into a grey hawk once more.

"Yes. We take from there."

"He is in Burgess, Pennsylvania," Aria said as she turned and began to mount the grey hawk's back. "At least, that was where I last heard he was. I suggest you confront him at night to avoid the little children who believe in you."

"Will you keep an eye on him in the meantime and make sure he doesn't leave Burgess?" Tooth asked.

Aria mounted the grey hawk's back and turned slightly to face Tooth. "I can," Aria responded with a small smile. "Besides, there is a certain person of interest in Burgess that I can take out as well…"

North and Tooth exchanged a concerned look as a hungry look came into Aria's eyes as she thought about hunting down whoever it was she had a target on. "Thank you, Aria," North said before handing her a small, empty snow globe. "Care for fast travel back?"

Aria took the snow globe and smiled at North. "Thanks," she said before shaking the globe gently. "Burgess, Pennsylvania," she whispered to it with a slightly haunting smile upon her face. She threw it into the air and the portal opened. "See you later."

Torvus took off and flew through the portal leaving behind the big four. "Do you really think that was such a good idea, mate? To involve her?" Bunny asked.

"We will find out," Tooth replied.

"Hm…she is different…very different," North was muttering when the Sandman finally got his attention.

Somehow the Sandman was able to convey his message to North in a rather confusing mime and picture message. "Yes, Sandy, I felt it too…" North responded.

"Felt what?" Tooth and Bunny asked.

"Aria's hidden power has grown over the years. She is dangerous, unpredictable even…we need to keep eye on her to make sure she doesn't harm anyone," North said in a slow sort of tone. "Something else is going on with her…something dark."

"What is it, then?" Bunny asked.

"I don't know," North replied. "I guess we'll find out."

"Maybe we don't want to find out, mate," Bunny mumbled to Tooth who gave a nod in agreement.

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The portal snapped shut behind Torvus and Aria as they emerged into the bright morning air of Burgess, Pennsylvania. There was a chill in the air that the huntress felt deep within herself, and she knew the Winter Spirit was close. She had never met him before, but she had heard about his constant meddling and winter weather disasters.

"I'm going to land," Torvus told Aria as he descended.

"We're invisible, you know," she responded as the hawk shifted as he landed.

He shook himself out and looked at the small town they were just on the outskirts, and gave a sneeze. He stepped back some and turned to look at Aria. "I can smell it," he said with a snort. "It's close."

Aria gave a nod. "It is. For you, it's hard to miss," she said and Torvus heard the underlying eagerness for the hunt in her voice.

He actually had started to worry some in the past years. Aria had increasingly become more prone to wanting to hunt down and destroy those who wronged others in the most extreme ways. It was becoming unnerving as her need to fight grew a little more every year until she was practically waiting to pick a fight. Her patience with people had lessened greatly, and she had become rather temperamental sometimes. When her anger rose, her inner fire would begin to seep out at some points, and it had taken all Torvus could do to stop Aria from burning down several towns.

"Maybe you should sit this one out," he started.

"Why?" Aria asked completely stunned by her companion's words.

"You have to find Jack Frost, and take care of this demon. Why don't we split up? You find Jack and I'll take out the demon."

"Alright," Aria said after a moment's hesitation. "Have it your way, Torvus. Just leave me out of all the fun…"

"It's not exactly 'fun' when you get their blood on your coat and you end up smelling like one for weeks on end," Torvus commented as he took off at a canter through the fields as he headed toward the town.

"I don't have fur so I don't have that problem, and I can't exactly _smell _a demon like you can."

Torvus didn't answer her as he continued through the area toward the town to drop Aria off as close as possible. Snow started to fall around them and the breeze picked up ever so slightly as they entered a snow covered, partial forest. Torvus pulled up to a stop on a rock outcropping that overlooked a frozen pond. Several people where ice-skating on the pond while some kids were playing around it in the snow. Aria looked around at the people who seemed so happy to have a snow day, and smiled.

Her smile faded when she began to think of her own family and let out a big sigh. _Sometimes I wish those memories would fade away, _she thought to herself as she set her bow back around her shoulders.

"Look there," Torvus said with a nod in the direction of the sky. "See that?"

Aria narrowed her eyes at a small blue blur that zipped through the air with a trail of snow forming behind it. Aria felt the temperature drop and watched as the form zipped down lower toward the pond with a joyous laugh. It came closer, and Aria was able to discern the specific features of the boy. _No, teen, _she corrected herself.

The seventeen year old boy had a head of snow white hair, somewhat pale skin, and a pair of bright blue eyes. His blue hoodie had frost edging the ring of the collar and a pair of brown trousers bound with lighter material from the knee down to the rather tattered and frayed ends. Aria raised her eyebrows at the bare feet of the spirit as he zipped through the air and circled the frozen pond bringing with him a chilly air. His staff, much like a shepherd's crook, seemed to be the gateway to unlocking his powers, and it was evident from the frost that lined the staff from where he held it.

_So, that's Jack Frost, _Aria thought.

She watched the spirit land and crouch on the ground with his head slightly tilted to try and view a book a young kid, no older than ten, had dropped. "Oh, that looks interesting," Jack was saying. "Good book?"

"Yeah!" Aria heard one kid yell.

"Alright! Snow day!" another answered the first in the same voice.

"Snow day! Yeah!" the first yelled out as he bumped the brown haired kid who picked up the book as he and his twin passed the other kid up.

The children laughed as they began to head up from the frozen pond toward a house as Jack Frost stood up and looked rather pleased with himself. He gave a nod as he placed his staff across his one shoulder and beamed at the kids. "You're welcome," he said to the kids as they kept walking.

"They don't see him, do they?" Aria asked Torvus.

"Apparently they don't," the horse responded.

"Hey! Guys, wait up!" the brown haired kid yelled as he ran after them. "Are you coming to the Egg Hunt Sunday?"

The kid's question caught Aria off guard. "Easter is almost here?" she asked Torvus with a slightly stunned look on her face.

Torvus gave a snort in laughter. "And where have you been?" he asked.

"With you."

"At least _I _get my days right."

Aria didn't answer the horse as she dismounted and began to swiftly make her way off the cliff. "Where are you going?" Torvus asked.

"To get a closer look."

"I thought we were supposed to watch…from afar…"

Aria gave the horse a cocky smile. "Who said I wanted to do that?" she asked as she jumped down and landed on the slippery ice. "You be safe now, you hear?"

"I will, Aria. Keep an eye out for-"

"Yes, Torvus," Aria said over her shoulder as she made her way across the ice praising herself in her mind for not slipping on the slick surface.

The horse snorted before turning on a dime and heading off to find the demon while Aria followed the kids and Jack. As she walked, a couple walked right through her causing her to stop and gasp as an empty, hollow feeling came about her leaving her feeling a gut wrenching pain from her stomach. She clutched her stomach and paused as the pain died down as quickly as it had come. _That was new_, she thought to herself as she leaned against the wooden fence to watch Jack as he flew down to the top of another fence with his staff swung across his shoulders. _I've never felt something like that before…or have I?_

"The Easter Bunny _is _real," Jamie, the brown haired boy, was saying from behind the fence.

"Oh, he's real alright," Jack said as he walked on top of the fence without a care in the world, "real annoying, real grumpy, and _really_ full of himself."

Aria smiled and gave a nod. "Sounds like Bunny," she mumbled.

"Mom! Sophie fell again!" Jamie voice called as a dog barked.

"Jamie, hat?" a motherly voice called.

"Mom…"

Aria felt a twinge of pain as she saw her own mother's face flash into her mind. _Go…away…_she argued with her memories. _Stop bothering me._

"You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."

"Who's Jack Frost?"

"No one, honey. It's just an expression," Jamie's mother said.

"Hey!" Jack protested and even Aria felt the sting from the comment.

"That was a bit harsh…" she mumbled to herself as Jack jumped from the fence down to a pile of snow.

She watched as a snowball flew through the air and hit Jamie in the back. Jamie began to chuckle as he dropped his sled and looked around for the thrower of the snowball. "Okay, who threw that?" he asked his friends who were in the snow covered park with a statue in the middle.

Aria followed swiftly after Jack as the Winter Spirit flew through the air to land near Jamie. "Well it wasn't bigfoot, kiddo," he said.

The young huntress leaned against the back of a silver pickup truck as Jamie pitched a snowball that knocked over a blonde headed kid with glasses just as another snowball flew through the air and hit a brown haired girl knocking her back on her butt in the snow. "Jamie Bennett, no fair!" she called out.

"You struck first!" Jamie answered.

The three boys were laughing when another snowball hit Claude in the face that was followed up by a snowball that hit Claude's twin, Caleb, right in the face as well. "Free-for-all!" Jack yelled out.

_He knows how to have fun with kids, _Aria thought to herself.

"Alright, who needs ammo?" Jack said as he ran over the snow and weaved through the kids as he created snowballs on the ground for anyone's use.

A snowball sailed through the air and hit Aria right in the chest causing her to let out a small huff as a chill moved through her. She caught sight of Claude's basketball jersey ducking away to fire another snowball at Monty, who was currently trying to find his glasses near Aria.

Aria dodged another poorly thrown snowball, snatched up Monty's glasses, and placed them in his hand just in time to _almost _dodge another snowball that nailed her in the shoulder. "Hey! I'm not in this!" she laughed though the kids didn't seem to see nor hear her.

But Jack did. "Well, now you are," he said with a bright smile and chucked another snowball that Aria dodged quickly.

Aria didn't comment back as she tripped up trying to avoid another snowball and landed face first in snow. "Holy freezing snow!" she yelped as snow snuck its way into her shirt.

Jack perched on his staff and laughed at the way Aria jumped up and shook out her shirt when suddenly the laughter of the kids stopped. They both watched as a rather large and intimidating girl turned with the head of a snowman in her hands glower at the other kids. "Crud! I hit Cupcake!" Pippa said as she took a step back.

"She hit Cupcake," Monty said as he pointed at his sister and basically threw all the blame on her.

"You hit Cupcake?" Claude asked with a slight crack in his voice.

Cupcake took a menacing step forward when a snowball smashed into her face. "Did you do that?" Caleb asked.

"No…" his twin answered right away as he looked around for the thrower of the snowball.

"It wasn't me," Pippa defended herself when several eyes glanced her way.

Jack looked rather pleased with himself as Cupcake began to laugh, and soon she was chasing the other kids laughing with them as they enjoyed another game. Jack flew above them as they ran through the snow. "A little slippery," Jack said as he slid his staff along the ground causing ice to form in front of Jamie.

Jamie slipped and fell onto his sled with a surprised yelp. Jack formed an ice path that the sled followed right toward the street. "Jamie look out!" someone yelled.

"That's the street! There's traffic!" Pippa yelled.

Aria rolled her eyes as she leaned against the statue in the park. "Well no crap that's the street," she mumbled. "I think I'll sit out of this one."

She watched Jack lead the sled through the busy street as horns beeped and people cried out in surprise all the while Jamie and Jack both laughed and enjoyed themselves. Aria even let out a small chuckle as Jamie avoided a snow truck and flew into the air. Jamie cried out in joy and then landed smack dab in the snow as Jack landed on the statue next to the hunting dog. "Oh my gosh!" Pippa cried out as the children rushed over to Jamie. "Are you alright?!"

"Yea-ha!" Jack whooped for joy.

"That looks serious," Monty mumbled.

"Jamie, are you alright?"

Jamie slowly got off the ground in a slight daze as he whooped for joy as well. "Did you guys see that?!" he asked as he steadied himself. "It was amazing! I did a jump and I slid under a-"

A red couch cut off Jamie's sentence as it slammed right into the boy causing everyone to flinch. "Woops…" Jack mumbled causing Aria to let out a small chuckle.

_That had to hurt a bit, _she thought.

"Cool, a tooth!" Jamie cried out as he jumped up from the snow again with a tooth in his hand.

"Dude, that means cash!" one twin yelled.

"Tooth fairy cash!" the second twin added.

"Oh no," Jack mumbled. "No!"

"Lucky bum!"

"I got to put this under my pillow…" Jamie was saying as the children began to head back.

"Oh, wait a minute," Jack started as he flew down to the ground behind the children. "Hold on, hold on."

Aria heard the sound of distance thunder boom as she looked up at the sky. Dark clouds filled with snow began to roll in, and Aria immediately associated it with Jack being upset. "What about all the fun we just had? That wasn't the tooth fairy that was _me_!" said an upset Jack yet the kids ignored him.

He flew over the kids and landed in front of them. "What does a guy have to do to get a little attention around here?" he asked in his hurt tone.

The kids, however, walked right through him giving Jack a rude awakening that they still couldn't see him. He stood there for a moment longer before he began to walk away at the same time snow started to fall. Aria felt a twinge of pain for the Winter Spirit as she watched Jack take off. "You know," Aria called out to him, "they probably would have still ignored you. They were pretty focused on that tooth."

Jack froze in midair over the statue and looked around for the voice. "Um…hello?" Jack asked the air.

"At least you can still have fun with them," Aria said as she stepped away from the statue as Jack floated down to the ground still facing away from the huntress. "And, quite frankly, you have a good arm."

Jack whipped around and pointed his staff threateningly at Aria. "Wait…you can…see…me?" Jack asked uncertainly.

Aria rolled her silver eyes and gave a huff of annoyance. "No, I am not _blind_," she grumbled. "And yes, I can see you."

Jack looked rather confused for a moment and stuttered in his next question. "Who are you?" he finally managed to get out.

"I'm Aria."

"Oh…" was all Jack said.

"I'm another spirit," Aria added with a stale face look to which Jack gave a nod.

"That makes more sense."

Aria nodded before the sound of thunder drew her attention away from the blue eyed spirit. She frowned at the sky and then turned her head sharply toward Jack. "Oh, great…" she mumbled, "…a storm. I wonder who could be making that?"

She turned back to the Winter Spirit to gauge his reaction when a middle aged woman walked through her. Aria gasped as the gut wrenching pain seared up through her causing her to double over again. She took in shallow breaths as a cold hand fell upon each of her shoulders to help steady her. "Whoa, are you alright?" Jack asked her with concern in his voice.

"Yeah…I'm fine," Are said through pained gasps as the pain began to die down. "It's getting worse," she mumbled to herself.

"Does…does that happen all the time?" Jack asked uncertainly.

"Yes…"

"When did it start?"

Aria shrugged. "I don't know…in the two-hundred and thirty-six years of my life I have never felt this before…until recently…"

Jack frowned at Aria as the huntress began to pull herself together and shrugged off the Winter Spirit's hands. "That's never happened to me before…" Jack mumbled, "…and I'm older than you…"

Aria glowered at the spirit who looked at her. "How old are _you_?" Aria asked with a glare causing Jack to give her a challenging smirk.

"Three-hundred and seventeen years…give or take a few."

"Yet, I seem to be the more mature one," Aria fired back.

"How often do _you _hang out with kids?"

Aria's expression became blank for a moment before she turned her eyes away. "I don't," she answered quietly. "I'm too busy hunting down killers…among other things…"

Jack frowned and took a step back from Aria. "So you're a Guardian?" he asked with some kind of resentment in his voice.

"No, why? Did you think that just because I never have 'fun' that I was a Guardian?" Aria asked as she turned and began to walk away from the people who would walk right through her.

"You _never_ have fun?" Jack asked in total disbelief as he started after the other spirit.

"No," the hunter threw over her shoulder. "My fun times ended a long, long time ago."

"And how long is that?"

_Persistent bastard…_Aria thought before turning her head halfway over her shoulder. "Over two-hundred and thirty years ago…when I was twelve…"

Jack wanted to ask more, but stopped at the angry tone Aria had used and instead left her be. He watched the huntress nimbly dodged several people and then disappeared from his sight altogether leaving him stunned. "What…Aria?" Jack called but received no answer and was left alone once more.


	6. Chapter 6: Brewing Trouble

Chapter 6: Brewing Trouble

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**A/N: Sorry about the wait, but I hope the length of this chapter is good enough to make up for it. 23 pages in Word, to be exact. I tried my best to put in my own story within the movie verse, so forgive me about any mistakes (I actually play the movie with subtitles and write out what they say so it is actual movieVERSE XD ) I may go back and add/edit the story after I read over it again, but I thought I'd upload it anyway. Please enjoy!**

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The thought of her life before everything began to change was what made her leave Jack so soon. A dull throbbing had begun to crawl into her stomach as she felt sorrow begin to take over her emotions, and had decided to get out of there before the dull throb could grow into something more painful. It happened often when thoughts of her past before her family began to break apart arose in her mind, and she had no idea why it happened. All she knew was her memories brought her pain, both physical and emotional, and she had learned to stay away from them.

When Torvus finally came to find Aria, he found her curled in a tree fast asleep. It wasn't uncommon for the hunter to fall asleep in some of the randomness of places high off the ground, but it was uncommon for her to look to be dreaming. She never dreamt for she never fully accessed the deepest part of unconsciousness to do so for her senses were always on high alert. Torvus studied her for a moment longer before rising up in a small rear to nose Aria's face. The huntress jolted awake quite startled, and fell right out of the tree into the snow below. "Torvus," she glowered at the horse.

"You were dreaming," he stated the obvious. "What was it about?"

Aria rubbed her head as she stood up. "I'd rather not talk about it," she grumbled.

Torvus's worry increased when he realized that Aria's inner power seemed to seep through its seal and into her blood as her eyes gave off a slight glow. His worry was short lived for Aria steadied her emotions and regained control of herself enough to push back the anger and focus on the present rather than, what Torvus assumed, the past. She gave a shaky sigh and turned from the horse without another word. _She worries me…a lot, _Torvus thought with a sigh as he followed the silent huntress.

She sometimes wanted to claw her memories out of her head. Metaphorically speaking, of course, but she hated them more often than not especially now that whenever she reminisced in the time before she became a spirit her inner power would well up and cause her pain. She didn't want Torvus to worry about her which lead to her keeping her pain to herself, but her own worry had increased over time as the pain had increasingly become worse and worse. With people walking through her and her memories both causing her pain, Aria was at a crossroad. She hated to ask for help, or even advice, from anyone, yet she was getting to the point where she was going to need help, and she was going to need it very soon.

With her mind still at war with itself, Aria walked on through the town with no particular place to exactly go. The sound of something frosting up brought her attention to what was above her head. Jack was idly freezing the power lines as he walked sorrowfully along them. Just as Aria was about to ask if the winter spirit was alright, streams of golden sand wove its way through the sky giving off a peaceful, golden glow as each strand found its way to a particular home where a child rested. "Right on time, Sandman," Aria heard Jack say.

The dream sand wove its way down toward the house behind Aria, and, upon impulse, she stuck her hand in the sand to see if it would do anything. A separate stream came apart from that one and whirled around in Aria's hand before it burst into a golden flame stunning the huntress for a moment. Yet, she didn't move and waited for the flames to die down. In her hand sat a little golden sand bird with bright glowing eyes that should not, in Aria's mind, look to be alive. It chirped as it spread its wings made for long distance flights and took to the air. It flew around Aria's head one before nuzzling her cheek in affection causing the huntress to chuckle. The golden sand bird hovered in the air in front of Aria's face as it studied the huntress with a curious look upon its face.

Torvus could only cock his head to the side in confusion as he couldn't place the little bird anywhere in his own mind. He drew up blank and stuck with the conclusion that it was only a sand bird. But the eyes looked so full of life that the horse was still at war with himself as to what the damn thing was. He wanted to ask Aria, but the hunter was too consumed in marveling at the bird that Torvus decided to try and figure it out on his own. That proved to be difficult for even the very intelligent horse, and in the end he gave up.

The bird clicked its beak before flew off and disappeared altogether. "Was that normal for the dream sand to do that?" Aria asked Torvus.

"You know," the horse started as he looked at the spot the bird had disappeared, "I was wondering the same thing."

Aria turned to the horse to see an equally confused look in his face that most likely reflected her own. A dog bark alerted them to something happening in the alleyway a few blocks down, and without questioning one another, Aria jumped into the saddle just as Torvus took off at a swift canter toward the alley just as a trash can crashed to the ground. "You aren't still mad about that, are you?" Aria heard Jack say and pulled Torvus to a stop just before he could round the corner to the alley.

"Yes," Bunny's Australian accent said. "But this is about something else. Fellas?"

"What? Hey! Put me down! What the…" Jack started but was quickly cut off.

Torvus rounded the corner and snuck up beside Bunny while the yetis – one was holding a red sack that, no doubt, had Jack inside, and the other was shaking a snow globe – had a quick conversation. "What did they say?" Aria asked Bunny.

Bunny gave a start in surprise at the sudden appearance of the huntress and her horse. "Do you mind not bloody doing that?!" he asked harshly as a yeti threw a snow globe on the ground.

Aria shrugged. "Sorry," she apologized half-heartedly.

The yetis turned to them and spoke a bunch of gibberish before motioning to the portal. "Me?" Bunny asked and then chuckled.

"I will," Aria said with a roll of her eyes as she quickly got the message that they offered a fast travel to the Pole.

"Not on your nelly," Bunny said harshly. "See yah back at the Pole."

Aria didn't wait to see Bunny tap his foot on the ground to open the passage to his tunnels that traveled all over the world. Instead, Torvus cantered forward and jumped through the portal and was soon followed by the yetis.

The horse landed uneasily on the smooth stone floor, and slipped up slightly before he caught himself just before he could crash into a large pillar. "Nice, Torvus," Aria teased, "that was very smooth."

"Why don't you grow hooves and try it yourself?" Torvus fired back.

"No thank you."

Aria dismounted as Torvus gave a snort and backed away from the elves that started to crowd around his feet. "Um…Aria?" Torvus started as he continued to back away from the elves who looked rather interested in the horse. "Could you…get these _things_ away from me?"

Aria was about to say something when an elf jumped on Torvus's leg and started to laugh as the horse continually backed away. Apparently, the free joy ride was fun which caused the other elves to 'attack' Torvus. He turned and swiftly began to trot away from the ever growing amount of elves that were grabbing onto him, and soon disappeared from sight as he tried to avoid the elves. Aria shook her head as she leaned against a pillar almost hiding in the shadows of the walkway that lead to one of the many branches of a library like area on the floor that they had chosen to gather on. She seemed to blend well enough that even Bunny walked right past her just as a red bag entered through the portal. The yetis followed after and stood on either side of the bag as a few elves crowded around it. "He's here," North told the other Guardians who didn't even seem to take notice of Aria or Torvus's appearance moments before. "Quiet," North shushed Tooth.

The bag slowly opened to reveal Jack's surprised looking face. "Hey, there he is! Jack Frost!" North boomed and Tooth shut up immediately to look at the winter spirit.

"Wow…you've got to be kidding me," he mumbled before he gave a surprised start as the two yetis lifted him off the ground. "Hey, hey! Put me down…"

"I hope yetis treated you well," North continued.

"Oh, yeah," Jack said with a slight chuckle and Aria could hear the sarcasm dripping off his voice as he kicked up his staff into his hand and rested it on his shoulder, "I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal."

"Oh, good! That was my idea!" North said with a bright smile and cheery face before he turned to the other Guardians to introduce them. "You know Bunny, obviously," he pointed to the annoyed pooka leaning against a pillar nearest the extremely large and extravagant fireplace.

"Obviously," Jack sneered under his breath.

"And the Tooth Fairy-"

Tooth was immediately in Jack's face before North could say anything else. "She knows very little about personal space," Aria mumbled as she watched the scene unfold from the shadows.

"Hello, Jack. I've heard a lot about you. And your teeth!" Tooth said excitedly.

"My what?" a perplexed Jack asked.

"Open up! Are they really as white as they say?!" Tooth went on quicker than a galloping horse as she started looking at Jack's teeth like a dentist. "Yes! Oh, they really _do _sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" she exclaimed to her mini tooth fairies as she took her hands back.

The little mini fairies gave sighs of delight and one even got up close to Jack to examine the winter spirit on her own making Jack give a small amused smile. "Wow…" Aria mumbled as she shook her head though she, too, was smiling at the rather embarrassing meeting.

"Girls, pull yourself together! Let's not disgrace the uniform," Tooth told her fairies as she flew back to North's side.

"Ha, ha," Aria chuckled humorlessly. "Slightly hypocritical there…"

"…and Sandman," North went on to gesture to his right where the Sandman was current taking a nap. "Sandy…Sandy? Wake up!"

Sandy shook himself awake and stopped floating in the air to give Jack a smile. "Hey, ho, anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" Jack asked before North could say anything else.

Before anyone could say anything else, a crash sounded from somewhere down the other side of the level that was followed up by an angry neigh and several colorful words directed toward the elves. "Can someone _do something _with these _elves_!?" Torvus cried out as he trotted quickly into the room in an attempt to get the elves away. "Anyone?!"

The horses cantered quickly through the room and stopped behind Aria's hidden form that no one still seemed to notice. The elves went to follow when a pair of angry, glowing white eyes flashed sending them scurrying the other way. "Um…was that a horse?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Aria said as she seemed to melt away from the shadows with Torvus right behind her on the lookout for the annoying elves. "This is Torvus."

Jack seemed a little confused and turned to North who gave a nod in Aria's direction. "Aria helped us find you," he stated.

"It was a favor, that's all," Aria added.

"So…about why I'm here?" Jack began again.

Sandy raised his hand and Jack kneeled slightly to look the little man head on as Sandy started making rapid sand images above his head in a poor explanation of why Jack was there. "That's not really helping, but thanks, little man," Jack said rather politely to Sandy.

Jack turned and looked at the globe when he noticed an elf carrying a plate of cookies. "I must've done something _really_ bad to get you four together," he said whilst freezing the elf and resting his staff back on his shoulders. "Am I on the naughty list?" he asked as if it were a joke that he already knew.

"Ha! On naughty list?" North laughed before he went serious. "You hold record. But, no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."

"How come?" Jack asked as he stopped and looked back at the four as if they were about to pull a big joke.

"Ah…good question," Bunny said in a huff.

"How come? I tell you how come! Because now, you are Guardian!" North said loudly as he raised his hands up.

Two yetis walked up behind him, each holding a torch while the elves began to march in playing music. Two mini fairies flew toward Jack bearing a necklace as decorations for the Guardian Ceremony fell into place. "What are you doing?" Jack asked as he backed away from the fairies right into a yeti who grabbed him gently and brushed off Jack's shoulder. "Get off me," Jack told the yeti as if it was crazy.

"This is the best part," North told everyone.

Aria tripped up over an elf into Torvus who pushed her back up. She shared a what-the-hell look with the horse before they turned back to the scene at hand. Jack looked rather pissed off as he raised his staff at the same time North took a large book from a yeti, and slammed his staff into the ground sending a wind that made elves slide backwards, the fires go out, and the music to stop playing. "Thank you," Aria mumbled as she rubbed her ringing ears.

"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" asked an annoyed Jack.

North started laughing loudly and Tooth looked as though she was about to join in, but stopped as she glanced at the annoyed winter spirit. "Of course you do," North stated. "Music!"

"Oh, please lord, no," Aria and Torvus mumbled.

"No, music!" Jack commanded and one elf threw his trumpet down and stormed away.

"Oh, thank god," Aria sighed.

"This is all very flattering, but you don't want me," Jack was saying. "You're all 'hard work' and 'deadlines', and I'm snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian."

"Yeah. That's exactly what I said," Bunny stated as he looked triumphantly at North.

"Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do," Tooth started as she, once again, got into Jack's person space before moving closer toward the slowly spinning globe with the thousands of lights on it. "Each of those lights is a child."

"A child who _believes_," North added as he walked up beside Jack. "And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."

"Quite frankly you could do a better job," Aria muttered as she shared a look with Torvus as they thought about all the dark spirits and demons that constantly threatened a child's day to day life.

Jack was trying to speak, but Tooth had her fingers in his mouth examining his teeth again. "Tooth! Fingers out of mouth," North reprimanded.

"Ew…" Torvus grumbled. "I always hated people touching my mouth…especially bits…"

"That's why I used a hackamore," Aria smiled at the horse.

"Thanks for that."

"Oh…sorry!" she started as if she didn't know she was doing it. "They're beautiful!" she stated before flying off and letting Jack stand once more.

"Okay, no more wishy-washy. Pitch is out there doing who knows what!" North stated annoyed now.

"Pitch?" Aria mumbled.

"You mean the Boogeyman?" Jack laughed.

"Yes! When Pitch threatens us he threatens them as well!" North continued though Jack still wasn't buying into the whole Guardian thing.

"Pitch threatened you?" Aria asked more loudly thought everyone seemed to ignore her.

"All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!" said Jack.

"Pick? You think _we _pick?" North went on. "No, you were _chosen_. Like we were all chosen. By Man in Moon."

"What?" Jack asked as Aria asked, "Man in Moon?"

"Last night, Jack, he chose you," clarified Tooth though Aria was still very much confused.

"Maybe," Bunny added.

"Who is Man in Moon?" Aria asked again yet she was still ignored.

"Man in Moon…he talks to you?" Jack asked still unbelieving that whoever Man in Moon was talked to the Guardians.

"You see, you cannot say no. It is destiny," said North.

"Um…hello?" Aria tired once more.

"But why won't he tell me that himself? After all three hundred years, _this_ is his answer?" Jack sighed and then glared at the moon.

"Can someone please explain to me…never mind…"

"To spend _eternity _like you guys, cooped up in some…in some hideout trying to find new ways to bribe kids? No, no. That's _not _for me! No offense," he added with a slightly sympathetic look to the Guardians.

"How, how was _that _not offensive?" Bunny asked annoyed. "You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"

"Uh, you ever hear of a snow day?" Jack asked. "I know it's no 'hard-boiled egg', but kids _like _what I do."

"This isn't going to end well…" Torvus said to Aria.

"Just let them tough it out," she answered really wanting to see a fight breakout between the two.

"But none of them believe in you, do they?" Bunny asked as he stood up and met Jack halfway, both glaring at the other. "You see, you're invisible, mate. It's like you don't even exist."

"Bunny, enough," Tooth reprimanded but Jack looked like he wasn't done as he gave a nod in agreement.

"No, the kangaroo's right," Jack said in a serious voice and Aria had a hard time chocking back her laughter at the insult.

"Damn…" Torvus commented as he took in a deep breath and tried not to laugh.

"The-the _what_? What did you call me? I'm _not _a kangaroo, mate," Bunny said now pissed as he stalked up to Jack and got up in his face.

"Oh, and this whole time I thought you were," Jack stated nonchalantly. "If you're not a kangaroo, then what are you?"

"I'm a _bunny_. The _Easter _Bunny. People believe in me," Bunny said harshly.

An awkward silence fell about the area, and before anyone could say anything, Aria tried once more. "So…I am a bit lost right now," she started slowly and all eyes turned to her. "First, who the _hell _is Man in Moon?"

"Man in the Moon? Manny? The one who created you? The one who chose all of us to be Guardians? That Man in the Moon?" Tooth rattled off.

"Yes, who is he?"

"He was the first Guardian who lived on the moon and watched over the children. When the task became too great for only him to handle, he chose us to help," Tooth explained.

Aria gave a small nod in understanding while North took Jack on a walk with him through the workshop. "What about Pitch?" Aria asked. "I don't think he is one that would _threaten _kids."

Bunny gave a chocked laugh and soon recovered. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," Aria dead-panned.

"Pitch threatens just about everyone. He threatens kids by corrupting their dreams into nightmares just so he can gain power."

Aria shrugged. "I know that," she stated as she looked at the globe. "I mean, I don't understand _why _he would want to threaten you four in the first place."

"He hates us for putting him back in the shadows, the very place that bloody, good for nothing guy belongs."

Aria gave Bunny a sidelong look out of the corner of her eye before turning to face the pooka completely. "If you were thrown in your warren to be stuck there because that was 'where you belonged', I think you would want revenge as well," Aria said finally.

Bunny went to say more when Aria's eyes flashed dangerously at the thought of revenge and what she just said. Torvus gave a sneeze snapping Aria out of whatever memory she was about to delve into and instead sighed. "If you are a sympathizer of Pitch, then you really have no place here to begin with," Bunny said.

"Bunny," Tooth started.

"No, Bunny is right. I can sympathize with Pitch's past because I know where he is coming from," Aria explained to Tooth. "And honestly, did you _really _believe that I would think I was welcomed here? I can tell that you all are wary around me. It's not that hard to see."

Sandy, on the other hand, shook his head and pointed to himself trying to convey the message that he didn't mind having Aria there. "Thanks, Sandy," Aria said and then seemed to remember something. "Hey, do you think you could, um, attempt to explain something to me?"

Sandy shrugged in an "I can try" sort of a fashion.

"Okay," Aria started and sort of crouched down to see the Sandman eye to eye. "First, could you make a small stream of sand? I am pretty sure you will understand in a moment."

The little man was confused but complied and created a small stream of dream sand that floated its way over toward Aria. She stuck her hand in the sand, and it gathered in a whirling torrent in her hand before bursting into a bright flame. Once the flame died away, a little bird sat in Aria's hands with bright, lively eyes just like the one before it. It chirped and flew around Aria, nuzzled her affectionately, and then flew off disappearing before it got close to the globe. "That happened the other night," Aria told Sandy. "Do you know why?"

Sandy gave a slow nod.

"Do…do you mind explaining it?"

Sandy shook his head much to Aria's dismay, but grabbed her shirt sleeve and made a picture of North above his head.

"North can tell me?"

An answering vigorous nod came from Sandy to which Aria sighed. "Thank you, Sandy," she replied as she stood up and seemed to contemplate the globe once more, but was instead deep within her own mind away from all the other things in the room as she tried to figure out what just happened.

The Sandman waited until he was sure Aria wasn't going to turn around before he looked over to Tooth and Bunny who looked just as nervous and, though as minimal as it as, fearful of Aria. He made several pictures above his head and got a responding nod from both Guardians in agreement with him. The huntress before them held something so powerful and so volatile that it was a wonder that she lived the way she did.

She was dangerous and didn't even know it.

Aria was a ticking time bomb.

Just as Tooth was about to try and lighten the mood, her mini fairies started to chirp rapidly in her ear, and an upset look overcame her features. "Oh, no!" she whispered before she started to zip toward the opening in the roof.

"Tooth?" Bunny called after the Guardian of Memories.

"There's something wrong at home!" she called back before disappearing faster than Aria could blink.

"What?" Aria asked but Bunny and Sandy were already racing away. "Fine, ignore me…come on Torvus."

Aria jumped onto Torvus's back as the horse jumped over the railing and shifted into a hawk. He soared through the levels until he found North and Jack looking over the Workshop. The hawk dropped Aria off just as Bunny and Sandy arrived. "We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace," Bunny said.

* * *

"North! North! I told you, I'm not going with you guys!" Jack was protesting.

"Come on, Jack," Aria said as she came up beside Jack and dodged a yeti carrying a large beam of wood. "It'll be fun."

"There is no way that I am climbing into some rickety old…sleigh?" Jack was saying as the three Guardians, hunter, and winter spirit stood under the workshop where the sleigh was being pulled into.

"_That _is a sleigh?" Torvus asked as the sleigh was pulled out.

Six reindeer, three and three, came prancing and bucking out of the holding area pulling the completely decked out sleigh that was made for speed. It was unlike anything Aria had ever seen with it being some kind of cross between an overly large snowmobile and a F-14 fighter jet with adjustable seating in the back, a stash of snow globes for quick transportation, and a miniature Globe of Belief that, Aria assumed, helped North with directions and seeing where the children were.

But it wasn't the sleigh that had captured most of Aria's attention but rather the extremely large reindeer. They bucked and snorted, and one even lashed out at Jack. They were at least eighteen hands, or six feet, at the shoulder with a powerful rack of antlers each. North calmed the reindeer as they stopped. "Okay, one ride. But that's it," Jack said as he climbed into the sleigh.

"Everyone loves the sleigh," North mumbled triumphantly as he passed up Bunny who stood gawking at Jack's willingness to still go along with them.

Aria approached the nearest reindeer, and stood firm as it lashed out at her. It gave a snort, inspected her, and then declared her clear of anything bad. "Nothing's wrong with me," Aria told the reindeer as she held out a hand for it to sniff.

The reindeer sniffed her hand and gave her the okay to come closer. She placed one hand on the great beast's neck and the other on its back. The reindeer took a step forward and then back causing the muscles underneath its furry body to ripple with the movement. _Pure muscle, _Aria gave an approving nod. _Just…hard core strength underneath all this fluff. _"Torvus, I think you need to work out a bit more," Aria commented to the horse behind her. "These guys beat you hands down."

"Hey!" Torvus protested.

"Aria, are you riding with us?" North asked.

"Of course!" Aria responded as she jumped into the sleigh without another second's hesitation. "I've wanted to hitch a ride on this thing for ages!"

"Bunny, what are you waiting for?" North exclaimed impatiently.

"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate," Bunny said as he eyed the sleigh apprehensively and then tested it by kicking it, "and safer…"

"Get in!" North said as he grabbed Bunny's boomerang pouch and hoisted the pooka into the sleigh with a smug looking Sandy and Jack. "Buckle up!"

Bunny was looking around desperately for the seatbelts, but couldn't find them. "Whoa, whoa! Where are the bloody seatbelts?!" he asked in a panic.

North laughed as he gathered up the reins. "That was just expression! Are we ready?" he asked a yeti who furiously shook his head and began to talk gibberish. "Good! Let's go!"

The sound of a plane starting up came from the engine of the sleigh as it rose up slightly. North took the reins and slapped them hard against the reindeer making them spook into action. The sleigh jolted and then took off down the winding ice tunnel. Bunny yelled and sank down in the modified seats as he held on for dear life still yelling as if he were on a roller-coaster. Jack crouched on one side of the pooka while Aria stood unhindered behind them all as she enjoyed the feeling of the rushing air as North laughed for joy and Bunny continually yelled. Behind the sleigh Torvus was flying at a breakneck pace that he easily matched with the speed of the sleigh as it whipped through the ice tunnels.

They came upon a looping tunnel and North gave a bark of laughter. "I hope you like the loop-di-loop!" he said to his passengers.

"I hope you like carrots," Bunny mumbled looking sick as ever.

The Sandman threw his hands in the air in complete joy while Aria smiled and held on to the side of the sleigh as they descended from the loop and burst into the day lit Pole. The sleigh ran up on a small platform that helped give it air before it ended abruptly at the large drop. The reindeer pulled the sleigh higher and higher into the air at a pace that Torvus easily matched. Bunny yelled as North laughed. "Blastoff!" the Russian managed to call out through bursts of laughter that even had Aria chuckling.

A moan pulled Aria's eyes away from the skyline to a terrified Bunny that was cowering against the seats while Jack hopped up onto the back of the sleigh right behind Bunny. He gave a bright smile as he took in the sight before him. "Hey, Bunny," Jack started making the pooka turn to face him, "check out this view-" Jack stood up and purposefully let the wind take him.

"Ah! N-North," Bunny started in absolute terror. "H-he…"

Bunny slowly pulled himself up to look over the side of the sleigh to see Jack lounging on part of the sleigh. "Aw," he sneered, "you _do _care…"

"Oh, rack off, you bloody show pony!" Bunny grumbled as he quickly fell back against the seats once more although Aria was chuckling hard.

"Could've fooled me," she commented as North pulled out a snow globe.

Jack jumped back into the sleigh. "Hold on, everybody. I know shortcut," North said with a cocky smile. "I say, Tooth Palace."

He chucked the snow globe into the air and a portal burst open. "Strewth, I knew I should've taken the tunnels," Bunny moaned.

With a slap of the reins, the reindeer dove into the portal, Torvus right behind them, and then they were in the air heading toward a hidden palace. "What?" North started as everyone sat up to view what was escaping from the palace as the figures neighed.

Black forms were racing toward them at a speed that matched the sleigh and then some. "Are those…horses?" Aria asked as the neighs grew louder and then they were upon them.

The mares' bright yellow eyes were focused on the fairies that were desperately trying to fly away from them. "What are they?" North asked.

Several crashed into the sleigh as the reindeer tried to maneuver their way through them. Torvus gave an annoyed shriek from behind the sleigh and Aria turned to look at the hawk to see him fly up over the massive stampede. "They're taking the tooth fairies!" Jack cried out.

One nightmare's eyes locked onto Aria's and then charged straight for her. Before Aria had the chance to dive out of the way or even get her weapons out, the nightmare was upon her. "Shit!" Aria cried out as the nightmare crashed into her and sent her toppling over the edge of the sleigh just as Jack jumped into the sky to rescue one little fairy.

Aria freefell for a moment before the nightmare caught her on its back. Either that, or Aria fell on its back, but it didn't matter at the moment for she wasn't falling to her death. The nightmare looked over her shoulder and peered at Aria before charging through the air toward the Tooth Palace. "Aria, are you alright?!" a voice called from behind the huntress.

Aria looked back and saw that the sleigh was following after them with North wielding his double blades and Jack driving the sleigh. "Fine!" Aria called back.

She saw that the nightmare's course brought it close to one of the many gold and purple structures of the Tooth Palace's intricate maze. Without thinking things through completely, Aria dove off the nightmare and fell toward the platform. She braced herself for the impact and landed with a loud thump against the hard surface that seemingly resounded throughout the section of the palace. She rolled across the floor and over the edge of the platform but not before her hand caught hold of the edge, the small gold barrier cutting into her hands. Blood welled up from the small gashes in Aria's palms and trickled over her hands as she hoisted herself up onto the platform. With a large huff, Aria splayed out on the solid surface. All the wind was knocked out of her and she was hurting in more places along her back and chest than her hands.

The sound of the sleigh coming to a screeching stop clawed at her eardrums for a moment before everything was silent except for Tooth's frantic noises of searching. Ari sat up slowly as the pain wracked her body longer than she would have liked. When it finally died down, she was able to stand up and gaze around her. "Aria, are you hurt?" Torvus asked as he landed and nuzzled Aria's face.

"I'm fine," Aria replied quickly before nodding in the general direction that the Guardian's voices were coming from. "We should join them."

"Right…"

Aria awkwardly jumped back into the saddle of the hawk as she masked her pain. Torvus took to the air and began to soar upward as a very familiar voice sounded throughout the Tooth Palace. "I have to say, this is very, very exciting," he said. "The Big Four, all in one place. I'm a little starstruck! Did you like my show on the globe, North? Got you all together…didn't I?"

"Torvus, isn't that-" Aria began.

"Pitch! You've got thirty seconds to return my fairies!" Tooth's angry cry cut Aria off.

"Or what? You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?"

Torvus jerked to the left and Aria let out a muffled cry that she tried so hard to cover up. "I thought you said you weren't hurt," Torvus reprimanded the huntress.

"I'm not," Aria breathed out. "Just a bit…bruised."

"Why are you doing this?" North asked as Torvus landed on a platform below the one the Guardians were on.

He shifted into a horse and looked at his rider who seemed to not be in any kind of pain. Before he could ask her if she was alright, Pitch's voice broke over his thoughts. "Maybe I want what you have," he said angrily. "To be believed in! Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds!"

"Maybe that's where you belong!" Bunny shouted back.

"Go suck an egg, rabbit," Pitch sneered at the pooka.

Aria dismounted none too gracefully and gave a sharp intake of breath that seemed to resound throughout the palace. At least, to her ears it did. "Oh, 'I'm alright. I'm just a _bit_ bruised'," Torvus mimicked Aria's voice. "Bull-"

"Oh, shut it!" Aria snapped as she righted herself. "I'm very bruised, alright!?"

The hairs on Aria's neck stood up, and she turned around on a dime with her bow at the ready and an arrow knocked pointed at the exact place Pitch appeared a second later. He gave a slight start before lightly touching the arrow tip and pushing it away from his face. "Now, now," he started with a knowing smile, "let's not shoot old friends."

"Old friends?" Aria asked. "And where were _you _in the last twenty years?"

"Oh, here and there," Pitch started but then frowned. "You're bleeding."

Aria faltered in her glare as she looked at her hands that held her bow. Dark red blood coated her hands and still poured from the wounds on her palms. She quickly sheathed the arrow and slung the bow back over her shoulder, though not without a very noticeable grimace, and then turned to view her hands. "It's just a little blood…" she mumbled.

"A little?" Pitch and Torvus started causing the huntress to give a small growl of annoyance.

"Alright! A lot…"

Torvus sidled up to Aria's side so she could dig through the saddle bags. She found several bandages and began to wrap up her hands when she noticed that Pitch was gone. "Hang on. Is that…Jack Frost?" his voice sounded.

Aria's head snapped in Jack's direction a little way's away from her. He seemed to be looking for the Nightmare King, but couldn't find him. "He's on the other side," Aria mumbled looking at the spot that the shadows seemed to grow darker.

"Since when are you all chummy?"

"We're not," Jack answered as he looked around for Pitch who appeared right where Aria predicted he would.

"Oh, good. A _neutral _party. Then, I'm going to ignore you. But, you must be used to that by now," Pitch said as he began to walk off.

"Pitch, you shadow-sneaking rat bag, come here!" Bunny yelled angrily.

But unfortunately Pitch was gone by the time Bunny was at Jack's side. He reappeared on a platform higher up, and Tooth got angry. She snatched one of Bunny's boomerangs with a yell and zipped up to Pitch. Suddenly, a Nightmare reared up with an angry, shrill neigh frightening Tooth. Pitch was trying to calm the black sand horse down while Tooth floated back toward the other Guardians and Jack. "Look familiar, Sandman?" Pitch asked. "Took me a while to perfect this little trick. Turning dreams into Nightmares. Don't be nervous. It only riles them up more. They smell fear, you know."

"Fear, of what? You? Ha, ha," Bunny started angrily. "No one's been afraid of you since the Dark Ages!"

Aria was busily studying the Nightmare and all it had to offer while she ignored what was going on between Pitch and the Guardians. It was made out of black sand, though its eyes were still the same gold that Sand's own creatures were made out of. Aria scrutinized the horse some more and realized that it was, indeed, black sand up to that point. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe not. The horse's mane was actually spikes and, like Torvus, it had canine-like teeth instead of equine teeth. If the horse became substantial enough, then it would be a deadly foe indeed. But, as far as Aria knew, it was just sand at the moment and possessed little danger except for the fact that the sand particles could get in one's eye. It couldn't exactly bite, or claw at anyone, but it was solid enough to bear a rider and to bowl someone or something over. Physical damage from the Nightmare just wasn't exactly possible. In the back of her mind, Aria could hear the little voice that always asked for a dangerous creature as a pet, and, once again, she chided herself in wanting a Nightmare.

A rumbled brought Aria out of her thoughts and she looked around to see the Tooth Palace was beginning to fall and rust away. "Look, it's happening already," Pitch sneered.

"What is?" Jack asked.

"Children are waking up and realizing the Tooth Fairy never came. It's such a little thing, but to a child…"

Aria paused in wrapping up her hands to peer up at Tooth who slowly fluttered to the ground in what looked to be defeat. "They…they don't believe in me anymore," Tooth said in a tone that shot right through Aria.

She felt the inner fire rise up and beat against its cage. She reeled back some and ran into Torvus as the fire seeped into her veins once more. She could feel her anger growing as it sparked up from her un-bandaged hand. She glared at her clenched fist as she tried to push it back down. "Didn't they tell you, Jack? It's _great _being a Guardian!" Pitch was saying. "But there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect, wonder, hopes and dreams, it all goes away. And little by little, so do they."

Blood dripped from the hunter's hand and onto the floor as Aria clenched her fist tighter and tighter as she tried desperately to bottle up the anger and cage the fire within. Pain was the only thing that she knew of at the moment that could possibly help settle the raging flames with in her core. Her hand now dripped an almost steady stream as she focused on pushing back the power that should have stayed hidden in the first place. Torvus knew better than to interrupt the huntress's concentration, and instead backed away a safe distance from her.

"It's you turn not to be believed in," Pitch's voice racked through Aria's thoughts, the first voice to actually _get through _her thoughts as all her focus was on not letting the fire out.

Somehow, those words seemed to snap her back to reality as well as lock away the power within her to allow Aria control over her own body once more as Bunny started the chase after Pitch. Aria looked up to see Jack disappear over the edge of the platform after the other Guardians, and gave a sigh of relief. "Don't. Say. A word," Aria snapped at Torvus as the horse inched up behind her.

"Ride?" he asked quietly.

Aria gave a frustrated sigh and nodded. The horse jumped over the edge and shifted to glide down to the pond that rested underneath a mural depicting what Tooth and her fairies did along with collecting the teeth. "Alright, I admit you were right about Pitch," Bunny was saying to North.

The two stopped talking as Aria limped up to them with her very, very bloodied and injured hand. "Please," she started tiredly as she caught sight of their wide-eyed looks, "just don't ask."

"Would you like some help?" North asked but moved to help Aria despite her not even answering the question. "This is deep. What did you do?"

"I fell…"

North shook his head as he wrapped up Aria's hand several times just to stop the bleeding and to cover the amount of the red liquid that covered her hand. "You need to be more careful, mate," Bunny commented.

"That's exactly what I said," Torvus grumbled.

"It's not the teeth he wanted. It's the memories inside of them," Tooth's voice cut through what little conversation was going on between the hunter and those around her.

The four spirits and horse turned their attention to Jack and Tooth, although Torvus and Aria also exchanged a glance of confusion to the tooth fairy's words. "What do you mean?" Jack asked completely lost.

"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack," Tooth continued. "They hold the most important memories of childhood."

Tooth stood up and hovered over to the mural on the wall above the pond with Jack following her. Aria turned to Torvus and gave a shrug. "Did you know that?" she asked the horse quietly.

"Do I look like a mind reader to you?" Torvus responded sarcastically.

Aria shook her head at the horse before she turned her attention back on the tooth fairy. "My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember something important, we help them," she said as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "We had everyone's here. Yours too."

"M…my memories?" Jack asked perplexed at the statement.

"From when you were young. Before you became Jack Frost."

"But…but I wasn't anyone before I became Jack Frost," Jack stuttered.

"We were all someone before we were chosen."

Another glance was exchanged between Aria and Torvus as they thought of what they were before they were changed, but only bits and pieces seemed to come to them at the moment. That didn't matter, for neither really cared to remember their past. North chuckled as he pointed a sword at the pooka next to him. "You should have seen Bunny," he managed to mumble out between laughs.

"Hey I told you to never mention that!" Bunny reprimanded in a stern, hard tone.

"That night at the pond, I just…I assumed…are you saying that before that, I had a life? With a home and a family?!" Jack started excitedly.

"You really don't remember?" Tooth asked.

"Didn't he _just _make that clear?" Aria asked Torvus.

"All these years the answers were right here. If I find my memories, I'll know why I'm here. You have to show me!" Jack continued and started to fly off when Tooth sighed.

"I can't, Jack. Pitch has them," she said stopping Jack in his flight.

He stopped midflight and landed in a crouch on a small ledge above the guardians and pointed his staff at Tooth. "Then we'll have to get them back!"

Tooth went to say something when a slightly pained and horrified look overcame her features. Several feathers fell out and she gave a gasp. "Oh, no! The children! We're too late," she said sorrowfully as they turned to the mural and watched as it began to crumble away.

"No," Aria and North both said, though North's voice drowned out Aria's.

"No! No such thing as too late," North continued as Aria shut her mouth knowing very well that the Russian's voice would be louder than hers at the moment and waited for him to finish.

"Don't give up yet," Aria added as North began to pace back and forth rapidly. "You're still here which means we still have time to figure something out."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" North started excitedly as he stopped and then swung his sword around nearly maiming Bunny's face. "Idea!"

"Someone almost lost his head," Torvus chuckled.

North crouched down excitedly as if he was about to jump into the air and looked at everyone gathered. "We will collect the teeth!" he stated firmly as he pointed his swords at everyone in the room to emphasize the 'we'.

"What?!" Tooth started to rattle off. "We get teeth, children keep believing _in you_!" North said triumphantly with a smug look upon his face.

"We're talking _seven continents_ and _millions_ of kids-"

"Give me break," North waved her off before flipping his swords back into a fighting position as an even smugger look came upon his features. "Do you know how many _toys _I deliver in _one night_?"

"And how many _eggs _I hide in _one day_?" Bunny added.

"And, Jack, if you help us, we will get you your memories," North bribed.

Jack crouched down for a moment as he contemplated the offer while everyone, minus Bunny, gave him a nod of encouragement. "I'm in," he nodded with a smile.

Of course, Aria and Torvus had been almost, _almost, _forgotten behind the Guardians. The two were already planning on escaping out of the Tooth Palace when North turned on them rather quickly. "Aria, we need your help once more," North started but stopped when Aria gave him a stale look.

"I understand that, but do you really-" she began to say when Torvus shoved her out of the way.

"We'll help, North," the horse said for the both of them.

* * *

"Quickly! Quickly!" North yelled out as they raced across the rooftops.

Aria rode on Torvus's back as the horse, who thought it would be a bright idea to _not _change, nimbly made his way over the roofs keeping up with the pooka and winter spirit. "Hop to it, rabbit! I'm five teeth away!" Jack taunted Bunny.

"Yeah, right. Look, I'd tell yah to stay out of my way, but really, what's the point?" Bunny replied in an equal manner. "Because you won't be able to keep up anyway!"

"Is that a challenge, cottontail?"

"Ooh, you don't want to race a rabbit, mate."

"I do," Torvus roared up in a challenge.

"Not again…" Aria grumbled as she held on tighter to the harness-like saddle as Torvus threw his idea of not shifting out the window and turned into a large wolf.

The pooka zipped across the rooftops with Torvus right beside him. Bunny didn't notice until the large wolf was blocking his way and scared the pooka senseless. "Aw, crikey!" Bunny shouted and came to a screeching halt before he could crash into Torvus. "What the bloody hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed to Aria who was laughing her head off.

"Blame Torvus," Aria managed to gasp out.

"A race? Is it a race?" North asked as he popped out of a chimney in a puff of black smoke yet not a single grain of dust was on his clothes. He popped back down and appeared on another roof. "This is going to be…" he disappeared and reappeared again, "…epic!"

"Four bicuspids over there. An incisor two blocks east. Is that a molar? They're everywhere!" Tooth was saying in a joyous tone.

Yet, all Aria got out of that was "four, two, molar," and "everywhere" in the jumble of excited mess that came from Tooth. She watched as the tooth fairy promptly flew face first into a giant billboard, but Tooth laughed it off. "You okay?" Jack asked and Tooth was in his face once again.

"I'm fine. Sorry. It's been a really long time since I've been out in the field," Tooth explained as she twirled around to take in the houses.

"How long is a long time?"

"Four-hundred and forty years, give or take…" Tooth said bashfully before her eyes lit up and her feathers poofed up in utter joy as she caught sight of a tooth.

She promptly flew off for the tooth leaving a rather stunned Jack with an embarrassed Baby Tooth.

They raced around from house to house trying to see who could collect the most teeth. It was safe to say that Aria was slightly ahead of whoever was behind her and always left a little something to piss off the Guardian who came to the house she had just visited. More often than not it was Bunny, and at one point Torvus waited until Bunny was in the room before swiftly snatching him and dumping him outside as Aria moved to the next house. Bunny, in turn, sent both horse and huntress through one of his tunnels which emptied out into another house that Jack happened to be collecting a tooth from. Of course, Torvus went right out the window while Aria managed to grab hold of the window sill before she could follow suit. The race turned into something close to see how many teeth one could collect while causing the others as much grief as possible, and boy, was it fun.

Bunny, Jack, and Sandy had been focused on the same kid, and after ditching both Sandy and Jack, Bunny collected the tooth. He stood on the metal roof admiring his latest snatch when nice formed and tripped him up. "Crickey!" he called out as he slid past Jack who took the tooth.

"Yes!" Jack said with triumph before Sandy snatched it right out of his hand. "No!"

Sandy waved by to the two when Aria jumped out of nowhere and snatched the tooth out of the Sandman's hands and landed with a soft, yet painful roll on the roof over. "Ha, ha…ouch," she said before stashing away the tooth.

They finally gathered on a flat roof each with a bag to present to Tooth with, of course, North's being the largest of them all. "Wow! You guys collect teeth and leave gifts almost as fast as my fairies!" Tooth commented with a bright smile that faded when the other's smiles did. "You guys have been leaving gifts, right?"

Sandy nodded his head before shaking it after a thought. "Oops…" Torvus mumbled. "Although, the one lass won't mind the horse shoe imprint in her wall…"

"Torvus!" Aria grumbled and promptly smacked him with her bag of teeth.

If they could have been seen by nonbelievers, what a sight they would have been lined up getting quarters out of a quarter machine in a self-wash laundry shop. They went back and gifted each child with a little something be it a quarter, Christmas presents, Easter eggs, or whatever else they could make before they finally moved on to the next city.

It was ironic that they ended up in Burgess, Pennsylvania. Aria caught sight of Norht trying to fit his way through a window and had to see what the big deal was when she noticed which room the Russian and the Sandman was walking into: Jamie Bennett's. "Here you are!" North's voice carried over to Aria.

"I'll wait on the roof if you want to steal the tooth," Torvus told Aria.

"Fine with me," the huntress nodded.

The horse landed on the roof and let Aria off. The huntress dropped down on the open windowsill in a silent, cat-like manner that was not an uncommon trait for Aria. She smiled at seeing Tooth, Sandy, North, and Jack all in one place. "What gives, slowpokes?" North joked quietly as to not wake Jamie. "How you feeling, Toothy?"

"Believed in!" Tooth said with a quiet chuckle.

"That's what I want to hear!"

"Ah, I see how it is," Bunny commented as he emerged from his tunnel into the room. "All working together to make sure the rabbit gets last place."

A chorus of "shh's" came from the Guardians as the pooka grumbled loudly. "Do you think I need help to beat a bunny?" Jack asked as he whipped out his bag of teeth. "Check it out, Peter Cottontail."

"You call that a bag of choppers?" Bunny asked with a smug look as he held up his slightly bigger bag. "Now _that's _a bag of choppers."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen. This is about Tooth. It's not a competition. But if it was," North intervened and then slapped his large bag of choppers down for all to see, which Aria had tossed her own in, "I win! Yee-ha!"

Aria smiled at North's loud cheer when a click sounded and a flashlight turned on to light up part of North. "Oh, no," the Russian said in a tiny voice as Jamie's eyes went wide with shock at the sight before him in his room.

"Santa Claus?!" he whispered. "The Easter Bunny? Sandman? The Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!"

"Surprise!" Tooth said awkwardly. "We came!"

"He can see us?" Jack asked in hope that one of his favorite kids saw him.

"Most of us," Bunny corrected.

The eyes turned to Jack, the empty space between Tooth and North to Jamie, when Aria entered the room as well. "He can't see me either, Jack," Aria added causing the Guardians to turn to her as well as Jamie. "At least, not at the moment."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked confused.

"I can make myself 'appear' to nonbelievers if I choose to, but I often create fear in them so it doesn't happen often," Aria explained with a bit of mirth at her own words. "It used to be different."

"Guys! He's still awake!" Tooth interrupted.

"Sandy, knock him out," Bunny added.

Sandy looked at Jamie and moved a step as he pounded his fist in his hand taking the wrong impression of "knock him out". "With the Dreamsand, you gumbies!" Bunny rolled his eyes.

A furious dog growling erupted from the once sleeping form of a large brown and white greyhound as her eyes locked onto Bunny. "No, stop! That's the Easter Bunny! What are you doing, Abby! Down!" Jamie tried desperately to calm his dog down.

"Alright, nobody panic," Bunny said as he slowly put his bag of choppers on the floor all the while keeping his eyes on the dog.

"But that's a…um…that's a _greyhound_," Jack told the pooka as his voice grew excited. "Do you know what greyhounds_ do_ to _rabbits_?!"

"I think it's a pretty safe bet he's never met a rabbit like me," Bunny said as a cocky tone entered his voice.

"You clearly don't know anything about dogs," Aria commented with a smug look on her face. "Greyhounds were bred for hunting…he's not even listening…"

"Six-foot-one, nerves of steel, master of tai-chi, and the ancient art of…"

An alarm bell blared out cutting off Bunny's bragging. "Crikey!" Bunny yelled as Abbey's eyes went wide with excitement as she dove off the bed and charged after Bunny.

Jamie was yelling for Abbey to stop as Bunny raced around the room trying to rid himself of the dog. Sandy tried to pinpoint the dog to knock it out but was knocked over and sent the dreamsand ball flying through the air. It hit Tooth and her fairy knocking them out with dreamsand teeth floating over their heads. "She's rabid! Get this dingo off me!" Bunny cried out in fright.

Bunny was hit with the dreamsand next with carrots popping up over his head while Abbey was knocked out afterward with dog bone dreamsand. Aria ducked under the flying ball of dreamsand and chuckled to herself as it smacked North in the face. The Russian fell backward onto Jamie's bed as candy canes manifested themselves above his head. Jamie flew through the air into the Sandman's arms where Sandy promptly blew dreamsand on the kid and knocked him out. The room was in utter chaos but in such a hilarious way that both Aria and Jack had a hard time keeping their laughter inside. "Oh, I really wish I had a camera right now!" he said to Aria.

"Blackmail," she answered.

Sandy turned to regard the two when a heavy snorting sounded from outside the window. Jack and Aria turned around to stare two nightmares down who quickly took off after that. Aria was the first to react and jumped out the window and quickly climbed up onto the roof to find that Torvus was gone. "Torvus?!" she called out into the night sky but was met with a neigh foreign to her ears.

She turned to see a Nightmare bowl into her and knock her off her feet. Aria rolled off the roof and fell onto the ground below with a gasp as her already rather large bruises just became larger.


End file.
